My story post 3

So I had a surfboard blank. And as would be, I got around $20 from my grand parents for Christmas. I don’t think I waited more than a day after Christmas to get someone to drive me to the Van Nuys Standard Brands Paint store, you remember Standard Brands? That was like the original discount home center, and they carried resin and fiberglass. So I used my Christmas money to by the fiberglass and resin for my surfboard. I was set.

Surely no one dreamed of where this surfboard thing was going at the time. But, I think my parents were quite supportive of me and how much I wanted to make a surfboard and go surfing. No doubt it some times bugged the heck out of them. At the same time seems it became a good tool for them too. Any time I’d get myself into trouble they had the “ok you’re on restriction” line and it would be no more surfing or surf stuff for X number of weeks. Yeah, but did they know, I would hide in my closet to look at the latest issue of surfer magazine?

I got started on my surfboard. Had to sand the blank a bit and clean it up. Cut it in half and glue a ¾ inch redwood stringer in it. Clean the stringer up. Then glass it. Sand the glass job. And the fin? I made one in wood shop. Mahogany with a Maltese cross cut out of it. I got some orange pigment and did the final color work of stripes along the stringer and panels along both sides of the board. All in all it turned out good enough, probably weighed in at about 32lbs. The picture is me in the first stages of making my first surfboard.

My story post - 2

Since I had taken surfing lessons and wanted to continue surfing I needed a surfboard. Didn’t need a board for the lessons because they were provided. Surfboards back in the early sixties were a good hundred bucks and this 14 year old didn’t have that kind of money. Nor were my parents going to spring for one. Back in the day the kids in my family including me, didn’t just get stuff, we had to work for it.


Dave Sweet made his own blanks in the sixties and made them available retail. My parents with the help of my older sisters boy friend Jerry, a surf guy, got this bright idea to get me one of the Sweet blanks for a Christmas present in ’62. I still remember that Christmas day. Everyone opening presents including me, then I get maybe a shoe box size gift. I open it to find a key inside and am told it’s a key to the lock on the garage door. Everyone says "go out unlock and open the garage door". I have no idea what is going on but go ahead and go out side, everyone following me, and open the garage door... what do I see? A surfboard blank! I was so stoked, a blank put me one step closer to having my own board.

So I got started with surfing.

And in a nut shell, I ended up doing board repairs and making some surfboards during my high school years. Moved to Ventura in 1967 and got a job shaping for The Morey-Pope Co. where I shaped boards for John Peck, Bob Cooper and Bob McTavish. Cofounded William Dennis Surfboards, Shaped for Wilderness Surfboards Greenough Designs during their first season. I’ve lived on Kauai for 9 years where I shaped for Hawaiian Blades and Dick Brewer. After returning to Ventura I’ve shaped for Walden Surfboards and as well, working on my own line of boards.

I still like the ocean and live about 5 blocks from the Ventura Pier. Surf as much as time allows… my son is my surf buddy. Miss Kauai often. Hang with me kids and grand kids…teaching my oldest granddaughter to surf. And in general think about making good top quality surfboards.

Why should I make top quality surfboards? Because… I have a very deep history in surfboard construction and design, with some of the most respected names in the industry, a heritage that should not be let down. It’s who I am and what I do. I’m happy with that and I like it very much.

My Story - post 1

My story, well at least my story with surfing and surfboards. I may get off topic a little here and there but still keep the surf and surfboard thing the basis.

I first took notice of surfing when I was about 12 years old…was born is 1948 so do the math. I always liked the beach and the ocean, made myself a skim board in 7^th grade wood shop so when my mom would take me my brother and sisters to Zuma beach in the summer I’d have a new challenge to go along with playing in the waves. Actually I don’t remember what got me interested in surfing, The Beach Boys songs about surfing? The growing California surf fad? Not really sure but one thing is for sure… I liked going to the beach, the ocean, the sun, the water, so getting involved in surfing was just a natural progression in what I liked to do.

I started bugging my parents about getting a surfboard so I could go to the beach and ride it. They didn’t like the idea of me just jumping into surfing. I guess they related it to swimming. You don’t just jump into a pool and start swimming, and you don’t just get a surfboard and go to the beach and start surfing. Must have been their thinking because they said if I wanted to get a surfboard I’d have to take surf lessons.

So I said yes to surfing lessons and some how got signed up to take them at the Santa Monica YMCA, fall1962. That’s how I got started and what gave me license with my parents to go to the beach with friends and surf, weekends, holidays and during summer months.