My story post 45, shaping a spoon 2

There was an article in Deep Magazine March/April issue on Renny Yater page 9. The last 2 paragraphs of the article in reference to the Sacred Craft shape off and the six guys that were to shape a spoon… “They are playing my music – in a different Key” says Renny, who notes that they only have two hours to do what usually takes four, due to the complex design. “It is not going to be easy and I will be impressed if somebody can do it in the time limit”

Well all of us finished the job… and it was impressive. When there were four completed shaped blanks in the display rack my friend Randy said to me “I know which one is yours” Because they all looked so similar I questioned him. He said “go look, it’s the one under the one at the top of the rack on the far side” … “well you know because you saw where it was placed after I shaped it” I told him.

Then I noticed a couple officials went to the display rack and rearranged the blanks around on the rack. So I told Randy “go look and tell me which one is mine now” So he went and spent 3 or 4 minuets looking at he shaped blanks then came to me and said “ I can’t tell which one is yours now!” Mine and the others, including Wayne Riches.. the winning pick, were not at all easy to tell apart.

I had a strategy, to complete the shape in 2 hours I figured I needed to get the thing roughed out in the first hour. If I could do that doing the finish work could be done in the remaining hour.

Since the outline was scribed on the blanks for us once I got set up in the shaping bay I grabbed my circular saw, cut the outline and cleaned it up with my planer and sanding block as fast as possible. Then measured the bottom rocker and started cutting away. You couldn’t stop to think about what you were doing… or really look at what you had done. My thinking was; I’ve shaped enough to know what to do and when, so just go… it was total auto pilot and motor memory.

After the bottom was skinned, rocker cut and bottom roll bands were in place I flipped the blank over and worked the deck… cutting for over all thickness and rail bands. Then I cut the spoon, and during that process the cutting adjustment on my planer froze up, which made the graduating cuts I needed to do impossible.

I stopped, tried to get the planer to work with out success. Fortunately I had also brought my Hitachi so I quickly retrieved it from my tool box, stepped outside of the shaping bay and called for Tim, the guy responsible for room set up. I needed to get my Skill planer off the vacuum hose and the Hitachi connected to it because the Hitachi only throws foam dust in your face if it’s not connected to a vacuum.

Tim wasn’t around so I asked my friend Dan to try and find him… as I went back into the bay and went after cutting the spoon in my blank, foam dust flying all over me and in my face. Tim comes to my rescue to pull the Skill out of the way and connect the Hitachi.
I finish cutting the spoon and made my final passes with the planer to clean up the deck.

I turned the blank back over and went after the bottom with my block plane to feather in the bottom shape. Then set the blank on edge and walked the rails with the surform, one side then the other. A final walk and scrub of the rails with sand paper and I picked up the blank and dropped it on the stand deck up.

There it was, I could finally see what I was after, the blank now looked like a spoon. I still had to do the finish work but the board I wanted was in front of me. It had been at least an hour of none stop motion but I knew at that point I could see the way home. What a relief!

I sanded out the blank, screened in the rails, did some touch up with enough time to step outside the booth and look at the spoon we were replicating just to see the final details.

Back in the booth I did a little final detail stuff, planed the stringers down flush and finish screened the board down in the final 2 or 3 minutes… I was done, stepped out of the shaping bay and let out a sigh of relief as Tim walked the finished shape to the display rack.

There were a couple things I should have done in the process that in the rush I missed… oh well. But the one thing I wished I’d done? Answer my phone when it rang in the middle of shaping.

I thought it would be good to have my phone in my pocket when I shaped the board because I usually have my phone in my pocket when I shape and would feel more comfortable if I did. Not thinking anyone would call… but at some point while shaping I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I thought ‘who’s calling me now?’ but didn’t stop to answer.

Later I checked to see who had called… it was John Peck. He left a message telling me he couldn’t get to the event in time because he couldn’t pass Malibu, with over head sets and a light crowd.

It would have been so classic to have stopped in the middle of the shape off to answer my phone and have John Peck tell me he had to stop to surf Malibu and “ sorry I’m late”

D.R.

A couple of the guys that got to do what I've never been able to do.... Watch me shape!

Short video below.

My story post 44 and shaping a spoon.

In 1967 if you would have said to me that in 43 years you will have your picture taken standing next to Renny Yater at a consumer surfboard expo after shaping a Yater Spoon in front of a bunch of people I probably would have said “you’re nuts”. But last weekend that’s exactly what happened.

I first met Renny in 1967 at Bob Coopers 29 birthday party. Cooper was the foreman of the Morey-Pope shop and hired me to shape surfboards that year… I was 18 years old. Renny Yater of course was very well thought of in the industry and really was an icon. Being in the same room let alone being introduced to him was a very big event for this then 18 year old kid. I remember it to this day!

Dale Herd, the guy that ran the show room at MP, wanted a spoon but instead of buying one the thinking was to have me shape one so He asked if I thought I could do it. “Who me? Sure I can do anything, after all I’m 18.”

So Dale got a Yater Spoon from a friend and I put it in my shaping bay with a surfboard blank and went at it. I don’t remember how long it took but I eventually finished the job and after the board was glassed and finished it was Dale’s baby. Dale was happy, he had a spoon. Not too sure Morey or Pope were that happy, their sales guy was riding a board that looked nothing like a Morey-Pope, but, that was that.

I’ve never looked closely at or attempted to replicate a spoon since that time. Then a couple months ago I was asked to be in the Sacred Craft Yater tribute shape off. My first question was “how long do we have to shape the board?” 2 hours I was told. “What? That’s a difficult board to shape let alone do it in 2 hours.” But, how could you pass up an opportunity to be in an event to honor such a good man, someone that is such a big part of our surfing history? It was an honor to be invited to participate and I’m thankful to have had the opportunity… really a once in a life time deal.

There were six guys in the event including myself, Michel Junod, Wayne Rich, Todd Proctor, Matt Moore and Nick Palandrani. All the guys put in their best and did a great job. Win, lose or draw, it was not about the competition. Fact of the matter, I didn’t look at it as a competition at all. To me it was a challenge, a challenge to shape a spoon in 2 hours for sure but it was really a way to honor Renny Yater, but as well to honor the traditions of the surfboard craft. Something that Renny helped cultivate starting back in the 1950’s. The tradition of hand shaping surfboards that has been passed down from men like Renny.

The intimacy of a hand crafted surfboard. Of having something that was made by someone that has put their heart into for a life time is extremely rare these days. To see, to witness what went down at the Ventura Sacred Craft show this past April 10 and 11 and to participate… was truly an honor.

D.R.

My story post 43

I’ve always liked summer, even though winter is when we get the most and biggest surf I’ve always liked summer. It maybe that when growing up summer meant no school and days spent at the beach… but the long lazy days of summer are my favorite.

Though I’ve got memories of good winter surf, good summer days are in there too. Like the summer of 1970. I had moved back to Ventura after loosening my job a Wilderness ended up shaping the summer months for a short lived label called Natural Motion.

I remember this one day, not sure of the month but, probably July. A day with light variable winds and the small residual waves from a south swell were still in the water. We probably hadn’t had much wind in days before this because the water was clean and clear… and a comfortable temp for short wetsuits.

There were a total of five of us. Mike the guy I shaped for, Bob, another guy I shaped for under the Pure Fun Fliers label, myself and a couple other guys. It was such a nice day we all didn’t want to waste it by working. So off to the beach we went.

There may have been a few guys surfing pipe but, honestly I don’t remember anyone but us around. We found this peak in front of the river that kept the five us busy for a good three hours. Nice clean shoulder to head high waves to play with all to our selves.

Two, three or four wave sets every three to five minutes. The warm sun on your back with fun playful waves the company of friends and not much else to care about. I mean, when you’re at the beach with the guys you work for and they are in no hurry to do anything but surf. What more could you want? Even at that if the wave that Bob just took I wished I’d gotten was a short lived thought because if not the next wave there was another one just like it within a few minutes anyway. Slide down the face, lay into a bottom turn, snap off the top….

We all had a blast, so much fun. The kind of days you wished would never end. But eventually you get tired and hungry, which we did and had to get out of the water to rest and replenish.

Funny how after surfing for hours when you get out of the water and start walking back to the car you keep looking back at the surf you’re leavening. You feel satisfied but you still look back, not wanting to leave but knowing you have to at some point anyway.

One more wave, one more look, you’ve left the water but you can still look at what you had. The good days live on in our memories.

D.R.

A big turn back on the H2 Mini