The last day of the year.... the surfer goes surfing.

 

This year for the Ventura area anyway was mostly flat since summer.  There usually isn't that much surf in the summer anyway but this fall was very small until Thanksgiving day. The Thanksgiving day swell had some size but it was only surf able for a few hours in the morning before the weather got to it. But since then we've had a small swell come through about once or twice a week.

 

So we've had some surf with very nice conditions for the past 4 days. So why not surf the last day of the year? Who knows maybe I'll surf the first day of the new year as well.

 

The thing about not having much surf is that when it does come the crowds show up too. And, when the weather is good... and warm, like it's been here the crowds don't hold back. When I was in the water today I saw the daughter of an long time friend. She said her dad doesn't surf anymore because of the crowds. Sad.

 

Now that I don't live a few blocks from the point I don't get the chance to check the surf at a moments notice or know when conditions turn favorable and get to the beach before the crowds can. So the last few times I've surfed when the surf was good and so was the weather the crowds were pretty healthy too.  I can see how the old timers would be temped to give it up.

 

I'm not ready to give it up. So here's to a new year and hopefully a year full of good surf and lots of it!

 

Happy new year!

 

D.R.

 



 

This board was made for a Christmas  present... nice.

When you are in the water when there is surf with size especially when you don't get in sizeable surf to often it can be a bit hectic. It will keep you alert, moving, thinking and sometimes a little on edge. It can take a fair amount of water time in good solid surf to become more relaxed and confident.

 

I read this article on Surfline this week about Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater going into the Pipe Masters.  What was needed for Mick to win the world title and how Slater would play into the event.

 

In the article was this picture. I did the five finger discount by taking a picture of my computer screen, hopefully the picture police won't come after me. You can read the article and see the picture in it here.

 

What this picture captures is 2 pros in the field. Both guys just a couple seconds outside at least a 6 foot (Hawaiian) wave...maybe larger. Mick is stretched at the top looking at what's out side and coming at them. Kelly is maybe 8 feet away and slightly inside of Mick but looking ashore, most likely looking at the score board, reading the numbers to figure out how the scoring has progressed. 

 

Both guys know what they are doing and have done it enough to be in control of their environment at that instant. What you can't see is what is on the out side of the wave in the picture.  As close to the pitching lip of this wave as they are a wave on the out side of this one could be larger and ready to give the both of them a beating, maybe not.  But either way they are alert, moving, thinking, contemplating their moves and positions. Totally immersed in their element.

 Only a surfer knows the feeling.

D.R.

I've been working through picture files this past week and came across the below pictures.  The file date on these pictures is 15 Feb. 2008... so over five years ago now.

 

This is a 9'8 Imperial that I did a special abstract rail and blue tint bottom inlay on... just for fun.  All the color work was done in the lamination. A one step at a time process that took 5 separate  lam set ups.  Then the board was hot coated, sanded, pin lined, glossed and finally polished.... as usual.

 

After I took these pictures the board went to the store and a few days later was sold... I only got to enjoy looking at the board during the short time I had it to take pictures... well yeah, I saw it through the time I worked on it like any other board, but after a board is completed they go on their way.

 

Reminiscing.

  

D.R.

 



It's hard to believe it was 5 years ago when I did this blog post about Blinky coming into the shop and asking if I'd ever thought I'd be making surfboards when I was 60.

My birthday and Blinky's birthday are 6 days apart and Blinky is 5 years older than me.  Blinky's 70th birthday bash was last night, 60 is gone now, for the both of us so try this....William Dennis is now 135, our combined ages.  When William Dennis was founded in 1967 our combined age that November was 43.

Ok, now my head is spinning.  We were either really young, crazy or both back then starting a surfboard business. And now? We certainly aren't young and we both still make surfboards and we both still surf.

When you really like doing something, in my case surfboards, and it becomes a job as time passes that job can become hectic. Sure you're doing what you like but with the responsibility of doing your job it's easy to lose that feeling of enjoyment for doing something that you like. After all these years it's really nice to be able to say I still enjoy making surfboards. I know Blinky does too.

Life is different now. I can make a surfboard in short order but now I can take my time and enjoy the process. When you're young and learning everything is new. The excitement of trying and doing new stuff is very enjoyable and fulfilling. When you're older knowing what you're doing is enjoyable. Knowing when you're finished with a project that you can hold in your hands, see and take in the thing you made is very fulfilling.

Something Blinky said last night... "hearing positive things about a board you made is the best thing".

Here's a note I got this week that made my day....

Here's a quick report on the new stick. Have ridden it twice, both times in 2-3 ft waves. Once at C St. when I picked it up and this morning at Pismo. So far I really like it. It performs as I hoped it would. Reasonably loose on the tail, and can get more so with a different fin I'm sure.  And then a quick cross step or shuffle  towards the nose and a nice squirt of speed, and it is fast and maneuverable from 1/3 back from the tip, as I had hoped. Also, catches waves really well, better than any of my other boards and floats me just right. Stoked and looking for bigger waves!

Thank you Jack!

D.R.

 

Still having a good time after all these years.





My story post 57

 

The first time I saw it my head spun around for a double take.  I think it was on it's way down Thompson Blvd.  Wow! I thought that was one of the coolest things I'd seen on the road.

 

After that first sighting every now a then I'd see it again, maybe down town or somewhere around town or mid town.  I never saw a surfboard sticking out the back and don't remember ever seeing it at the beach, but I thought if I did it would be the coolest thing ever.

 

Then  one day it happened, while I was out and around it went by with a for sale sign in the window.  I couldn't help myself.... I had to follow along until the driver got to his destination. When it stopped so did I.... went up to the driver and asked "how much do you want?" all along thinking even if he wanted all the money I had in the bank I would buy it.  When he told me what he'd take I said OK and  we made arrangements to meet up in the next couple days and do business.

 

I was so stoked the day I handed over my money and got a signed pink slip and the keys to the car of my dreams.  And, I'd like to say that it was all wonderful after that.  The car looked pretty darn good but there were some undisclosed mechanical problems that needed attention and would sometimes get me stranded.  But the real problem came when I went to transfer title.

 

The previous owner signed the wrong line on the pink slip and then erased his signature and rewrote it on another line. The DMV would not  except the pink slip and said I needed to get the previous owner have him sign some other paper work and return with a fresh signature and authorization stating all was honest and well.

 

Problem was the previous owner  was moving away.... one of the reasons he was selling his car, and the few weeks between the time I bought the car and went in to the DMV to change title he had moved and was nowhere to be found.  I was stuck looking like I had stole a pink slip doing some dishonest changes to a legal document and made off with someone else's property.

 

There were ways to fix my problem but I didn't know of them and at 19 years old I was not smart enough with these things. So after a few trips to the beach with my surfboard sticking out the back like a true surf guy I ended up parking the car thinking maybe one day I'd figure out a way to get it legal.

 

It did finally get legal a couple years later.  Not by me though, but by the guy I sold it to. He said he didn't care that there was a problem with the title. He knew how to take care of that and took my '47 Ford woody off my hands.

 

D.R.



So what has been lost with the development of the beach in Ventura, or it's actually the redevelopment of the beach?  How has it affected the surf scene?

 

Originally the point had your typical sand and cobbled shore line. Typical for the coastal area from Ventura pier up to Figueroa St on to stables, pipe and the Ventura river.  At low tide it looked similar to the way low tides look now. But at high tide the water line was much more gradual because the shore line was not disturbed by development but was natural. When we had big winter rains sand from the river would spread out from pipe and begin it's migration down the point and on down the coast. 

 

Initially the 7 jetties were installed to hold sand and keep the natural beach erosion at bay. One of the first surf spots to disappear was the San Jon Rd . beach break south of the pier. Because of the jetties bottom sand stopped forming favorably for surf.

 

To stop beach erosion along the point a revetment of large rocks was deposited just inside the high tide line from the pier to Figueroa St.  These rocks are piled from sea level to about 8 feet above sea level. Fill dirt was dumped on top of the rocks and then the area from California St. to Figueroa St. was graded from that level back to Harbor Blvd.

 

Those big rocks under the promenade keep the beach from eroding. As well, combined with the first jetty hold sand from the jetty on up the beach well past "C" St. 

 

The first change to the surf from the revetment was the inside point or old "C" St break.  No more would the south swells peal way down the point but instead began to wall off and close out.

 

The second change was to the south side of the pier. Actually it's the east side but it has always been called the south side.  No longer, or at least very seldom do you see the old south side peak.  Once a regular spot for the local crew. My son surfed there regularly. 

 

Yeah, the pier used to be a regular spot. When all we had was long boards, shooting the pier was a common move. I've shot the pier from the south side and then caught another wave on the west side and gone back through.

 

The old picture below, taken from the pier, shows the south side peak in action.  I'd say on a pretty good sized winter swell.  Back in the early seventies some of the local guys would take their boards and jump off the pier to surf the bigger swells.  As well, there was a rope tied to one of the pilings to hold on to so you could keep your position....the current on big swells is really strong. 

 

D.R.  



 

 

 

Here are a couple more pictures of "C" St.  You can click the pictures to enlarge 



 

The house from my last post has those real tall palm trees in front of it. The picture is from the 1940's I believe judging by the old cars parked in the old beach parking area. Also I'd say the picture was taken in the winter because of all the cobbles on the beach.  If it was in the summer months there would be more sand visible.

 

Keep in mind,  this house was demoed in 1967.  That year was when everything in the above picture was removed and the beach revetment was started.  The big rocks you see under the Promenade in the picture below and dirt was what was installed after the last houses were destroyed.



 

This picture is what you see now from about the same spot on the beach.  I don't know what time of year this one was taken but you can see how much sand is now on the beach. Even in winter you'll see this much sand.  The revetment that the Promenade is built on and the first jetty south of the pier keep the sand from eroding.

So, here comes the population explosion.... from a hand full of single family homes on the beach to a hotel, condos and apartments.  The huge increase in population of the town of Ventura out the east end. As well as the neighboring towns of Oxnard and Camarillo with a nice 4 and 6 lane Freeway to make drive time short and comfortable.


The Ventura surf community inherited a general population expansion from the 1960's a casual 50,000 or so in the city of Ventura to over 100,000 now. Plus the over 100,000 in each of our neighbor cities.

 

When the surf is good and the lineup is full of 100 surfers there are still guys in the water that know what the old days were like and all about.  And, also in the line up on any give day are the old core guys kids.

 

I may not surf with some of the old core, because they don't surf any longer, But I do surf with their kids on a regular basis.

 

As Wayne Rich would say, the underground lives.

 

D.R.

What was " C " St. like back before there was a freeway that connected LA with Ventura?

In a word... different. In 2 words... very different.

 

The core group of surfers from the early days before the beach got developed in Ventura is what made or gave the local surf community it's personality.  The collective mind set.  Watching the  beach change and the surf along with it... not for the better, can have an effect.

 

Watching single family homes being demolished for a three level parking garage to accommodate the patrons of a large hotel that was also erected right on the beach. Then seeing a large condominium project build out and a 100 or more apartments go up, again right on the beach may have had a hardening effect on that local mind set.

 

Sure we changed or as one friend of mind has said " I've evolved ". But that memory of what was and how things were is still under the surface... And that mind set is passed on to the newer younger guys as well.  So the local surf community mind set lives on and most likely will for some time.

 

It's hard to articulate but maybe this picture will help.  And the question is... what would you think the feel and atmosphere of " C " St. would be like if when you came down California St. to the beach and instead of turning right and going on to Paseo de Playa or up to the free lot at the point or the 2 dollar lot you went straight down to the sand and stopped in front of this house to look at the surf?

 

D.R.

 



Click on the picture to enlarge and note the street sign.

The beach was directly to the left.

Sadly, I watched the wrecking ball go through this house.

Is history important?  Is getting the story right important or does it matter?

 

After the Surfline thing from a couple weeks ago I got to thinking about the story of surfing or at least the surfing story of Ventura.  How the little mission town then oil town of Ventura found surfing through a few young guys and how the young surfing community made up of kids from the towns working class grew to what it is today.

 

During the 1960's when surfing first started to grow Ventura was a pretty isolated town. My first trips to "C" St were spent in a car on the then 2 lane highway that connected San Fernando Valley to Ventura. This 2 lane road of at least 35 miles had one traffic light, at Victoria Ave on the very east side of Ventura.  For perspective, the current path the old road followed is now a freeway. It's run from Ventura stretches  all the way to down town L.A and beyond, as well, goes up the coast past Santa Barbara. The Ventura Freeway is no less than 6 lanes and as wide a 10 in places now.

 

Because Ventura was a pretty serious destination stop the local surfers didn't see that many visiting surfers.  There weren't that many people surfing in the early to mid sixties in Ventura so if you did make the day trip to surf "C" St. you may not even see anybody at the beach.

 

I remember my first surfing visit. I came with a couple friends via one of the guys dad who happened to have business in the area so he brought his kid and 2 buddies and dropped us off at the beach while he went off on business.

 

It was a cool overcast day with some small surf peeling down from the point, maybe about waist high to us.  As the day progressed  and some of the fog lifted I could see the bigger surf up the point and a few guys up there surfing. Granted I was young and not that experienced but looking up the point and seeing bigger surf and a vacant beach in the fog seemed un inviting and spooky.

 

Those guys I saw up the  point surfing that day were the locals.  They were comfortable surfing a spot that was out of the way and not crowded.  Maybe overcast and cold, not pretty and some what out of the way.  When the surf was good there was no one on the beach to see their great rides.  If they took some knocks while in the water they suffered on their own. 

 

The 2 or 3 dozen guys and gals that made up the local crowd at "C" St.  back then were the Ventura surf community.  They knew who they were and knew that the surf in Ventura was what they had. The good days, the bad days, the wind, the fog, the sunny days, the cold water, the cut feet from the rocks as well as the damaged boards.  The mild summer days and the heavy winter currents... it was all theirs.

 

So what happened when getting to Ventura became easier?

 

D.R.   

 



 

There has been plenty talk about shapers and the soul that goes into shaping and crafting a surfboard.  Now days we have surf media, both in print and online.  What about the soul the goes into what we see and read or view in the surf media?

 

This past week I received a phone call from someone at Surfline, the online surf web site. I'm told they are doing one of their Shapers Alley features on Ventura County and want to take some pictures and do a short interview with me for the feature.  I oblige and set up a time the following day to meet and do the short interview.

 

I'd had read a couple of the Shapers Alley features in the past so thought I'd go check them out and get an idea of what questions might be asked to get an idea of what to say.  To my surprise the Ventura County feature was already published, up and online for their readership.

 

Though Blinky, my founding partner at William Dennis was mentioned in the cover story  he did not have an entry in the shapers section, nor a number of other established shapers from the area including my self at that point.

 

Blinky and I have been making surfboards in Ventura longer than anyone by a long shot.  How is it that a publication can totally miss that, print a feature and make it look like we don't even exist to the out side world? Is it because they need to get something in print by a certain time and just can't get to everyone? Or is it because they just don't take the time and make the effort to get things right from the beginning?

 

When I make a surf board I put my heart into it. All my knowledge, experience, ability, research and even my history goes into every board I make. It's the effort, all the effort from our early beginnings that is most likely what we in surfing have come to call soul.

 

The surf media isn't new, though the online versions are some what young. Even still, the surf media is pretty much the representative of all things surfing to the surfing and non surfing world. Because of that it is important for what is published to the world be put forward with all the knowledge, ability, research and effort available.

 

Possibly Surfline will up date the shaper entries with the guys they unfortunately missed. The problem is... the damage has already been done. The feature has already been published and if it hasn't already, it will soon drop off the Surfline home page and will then be an old story.  Currently the piece has  received a little over 28,000 views. The Santa Barbara Shapers Ally feature was published over a year ago in June 2012 and has only about 10,000 more views than the current Ventura feature... Catch my drift?

 

D.R.  

 





 

Wipeout!



One of the surf reports I follow had this for an opening line a couple days ago...'Are you tired of this yet?'  Why?  Because it's been pretty much dead flat for about 2 weeks now.  

 

I think I've said this before... 'Welcome to Southern California in the summer.'

 

I've also said I like summer, but, it can go flat for a long stretch sometimes. Even once or twice between May and September. So we're in one of those right now and from the looks of the forecasts it's going to continue. Sad but true.

 

With the forecasts saying there's still not much on the horizon means there is time to do the things you always put off when there is surf to be had, and at the same time not going to the beach or worrying that you're missing something.... like for me, working on my house and getting surfboard work done. Geez, I don't think I've even stopped to look at the surf, or lack of surf for over a week. But then again I was out of town for a few days this week.

 

So when the waves are thigh high at best you've got to have the small wave gear. Something like the Tip Tool works just fine.

 

D.R.  



 



Shawn at Malibu, small wave Tip Tool dance.



I’ve gone digging into my outline archive… sorted through a half dozen of my Hull outlines for a new sub 7 footer.

 

So here’s The New Hull… albeit with an outline that is 44 years old.  The curve is more full forward and  I’ve thinned the foil out some over all.

 

D.R.

 





 

I’ve talked about my mom some but maybe not about my dad.  Actually I’ve had 2 fathers, paternal father and step father.

 

When I was about 7 or 8 years old my parents divorced. A couple years later my mother remarried.  With the remarriage not only did I get a new father but my 2 sisters and I inherited 2 brothers. We all became one big family… and in the process I didn’t see my paternal father until I was 18.

 

I still remember seeing him for the first time after all those years. And then over the years after that we got closer.  He liked camping and had a nice motor home just for that.  So When I’d set up surf camp trips he’d sometimes book a site and spend time camping with me and the family. 

My dad moved up to Sacramento during the time I was living in Hawaii. When we returned to Ventura we never got to visit until last year.

 

Last June was when my mother passed. Now 1 year, 1 month and 3 days later my father has passed away.  Even though I was not around my father during my formative years we were able to reconnect and have good family time, work time and recreation time together since we first said hello again some 47 years ago… and now it’s hard to say good bye.

 

RIP dad, you will be missed.

 

D.R.    

 



 

On a surf outing in summer of '92

Me on the left acting like a clown,  which is why my dad on the right and son in the middle are laughing. 

 

My story post 57

 

I don’t travel much, the traveling I’ve done has mostly been between California and Hawaii.  Usually things go OK but sometimes…. Not.

 

The summer of ’82 my wife and I went to Oahu for a couple weeks. I off course took my surfboard.. a 6’3.  When we got to LAX and the terminal we were to fly out of there was a line at check in a mile long. The line wasn’t moving at all but since we were all the way out by the door we couldn’t tell that the line we were in was for some delayed international flight and our flight to Hawaii was checking passengers at the end of the counter, but because the area was so crowded we couldn't tell.

 

I kept thinking there was no way we could get through this check in line and get to the plane in time.  Then the friend we were meeting and going on the trip with walks up and says “ you’re going to miss the flight, come around this stupid line and get your stuff checked. So we hustle around the crowd, check our stuff and run to the gate.

We’re like the last people to board this 747 on a summer day going to Hawaii. Guess what?  The pickin’ plane is all but full, and because we’re the last 2 people to board there are only single seats available anywhere.  So I get seated next to a couple strangers and my wife is seated about 6 or 7 rows away from me with a couple guys… she doesn’t know either.

 

I’m thinking this isn’t the way to start a fun couple weeks in the tropics. I get up, go to a flight attendant and complain. “what the heck, we get stuck at the airlines chaotic check in counter, because we got stuck at the chaotic check in counter we almost miss our flight. And then when we finally get on the plane you guys seat my wife with a couple strangers?” I say.  “ this is a 5 hours flight,  this ain’t right.”

 

The flight attendant knew of the situation at check in… which is why things seemed a bit chaotic on the plane as well, she said, “hold on a minute, let me see if we can straighten things out.”

 

As the crowded plane started to quiet down and was about ready to pull from the terminal, the Flight attendant came back to me and asked if I’d get my wife and follow her saying.. “I’ve got a place for you.”

 

So my wife and I follow her into first class, then to the stairs that go up to the upper area of the 747, above first class and seat us.  There was another couple on the other side of this cozy little room, windows on both sides, with big wide comfortable seats. We sit down, buckle up and the plane took off.

 

After the plane got in the air the flight attendant came back to check up on us and brought us a bottle of champagne.  What started like a nightmare ended up a sweet dream all the way to Hawaii.

 

D.R.



 



 

My wife Suzi at the Honolulu airport circa 1982

Man I like summer!  The warm days and long days at that.  It’s light at 5:30 am.  If you go down to the beach at the butt crack of dawn you can surf 2 hours and still be at work by 8am if you work close enough to the beach. Or, you can go down to the beach at 5:30 in the evening and surf for 2 hours and be on your way home before it’s even dark.

 

I had my grandson here visiting all last month.  I took him surfing about 3 or 4 times a week, he was getting the surfing bug.  He went home June 28 so the day before he left we went surfing in the morning and the evening.  There was a little south and west combo swell running that day. The morning wasn’t that great but as the day progressed the conditions cleaned up so that evening was really fun.

 

That late afternoon when we were out surfing again I kept asking Merrick if he’d had enough, he’d say no and we’d just keep surfing.  It was sunny and warm but when the sun dipped behind the inland hills it seemed like a good time to call it a day.  When we got back to the Van to dry off I checked my phone for the time.. it was 15 minutes to 8. We went and got hamburgers drove home pulling into the driveway just as it was getting dark. Compare that to winter when dark is 5pm.

 

Yeah, Merrick’s last day was one full summer day, and I was tired that night.  Only to wake up early and take the kid to LAX.

 

D.R.

 



The solid resin tail block.  For a interesting look and a strong tail area.

 

Made of excess resin from color laminations that is pored into a tray. One color at a time over a period of weeks. Then cut close to size and glued to the tail of a Tip Tool…. In this case.

 

36 grit sanding disc on a variable speed grinder to shape and feather in to a fine finish before deck lamination.

 

The random element to the strata happens naturally from the various color layers and the particular way each layer gels.

 

When back lit the transparent colors illuminate. 

 

D.R.



 



Our annual camp out a Leo Carrillo has come and gone already.

 

It was this past week.  The weather was some what typical SoCal June but, we still had all but one day with sunny afternoons. 

 

There was a very small south swell Monday that didn’t quite hold into Tuesday. The bigger swell was forecast to have some for runners  Wednesday.  Unfortunately the for runners were few and far between with the swell really starting to show Thursday building throughout the day. 

 

My son got some of the building swell Thursday morning.  And that was it.  I on the other hand didn’t get more than an eye full of what was one of the biggest swells I’ve seen hit Leo.  I started feeling poorly Wednesday and didn’t start recuperating until Saturday… so I missed it…. The surfing part anyway.

 

But I was there and I saw it.  My grand son and I walked down from our camp site to watch the action Thursday late afternoon… early evening, when the tide was about at it’s optimum for the place.  Macking waves  with some 5 and 6 wave sets,  some would closeout the reef completely.  Yeah, macking waves and macking crowd.  The regular guys that surf there were doing pretty good but taking off quite north of the rock and blasting past it with guys all through the flight line looked pretty hectic.

 

To bad I didn’t take the camera with me. Sitting on the beach snapping pics would have been fun.  Especially if I’d gotten the first wave of the clean up set that pretty much raked the whole crowd. Guys were sitting outside waiting for the sets but still took that one on the head, kelp and all. Crazy.

 

D.R.



 



My son Robin down the line on one of Wednesdays for runners.

 

What is the dream job for a surfer?

 

When I was a teenager I really didn’t think about getting a job, well, actually in high school I had a job repairing and making surfboards.  I never thought of that as a job, it was something I did and it just happen to pay. 

 

10 months out of high school I landed a job shaping surfboards.  All the guys I worked with were surfers.  We made surfboards, talked about surfboards and surfing all day everyday and surfed everyday unless there just was no surf.  I guess that was a dream job.

 

Back then there were no pro surfers like today, at least the surf contests didn’t have cash prizes.  But there were a few guys that made money from being who they were.  Sort of the first sponsorship deals.  If you had a well known name from surfing really good and connected with a surfboard label and got a model made with your name on it you would get a few bucks for every board that was made with your name on it.

 

There were a few guys in the mid sixties that did ok with that.  Pretty much like being paid to surf. Now days there are plenty guys and gals that get sponsorship deals and pretty much get paid to surf.  For a surfer being paid to surf is the dream job for sure.

 

In the sixties and seventies and maybe to this day getting a restaurant gig was a good job for a surfer.  Best of course in an upscale place so the tips are good, and 4 to 6 hours at night… so your days are free for surfing.

 

I talked with a couple guys this week that had some pretty dream jobs for a surfer.  One was the wood shop teacher at the local middle school.  The school by the way is walking distance from the point in Ventura. 

 

The other guy is a lifeguard… his guard station?  First point Malibu.  We talked for a while, I was full of questions like, it must be nuts some days because of the crowds. He confessed they send a lot of surfers off to the hospital from surf accidents, of course.  Then I asked about the off season. We do get south swells in the off season and he confessed he does get days with good surf and no crowds. 

 

If you like to travel and like being on the go all the time then being a pro surfer would be your dream job. But if you’d rather have a regular routine and wanted to hang at home a guard station at first point Malibu is a good alternative for a dream job.

 

Did I mention that my shaping bay at the job I got 10 months out of high school had a view of the south peak at Ventura pier?  Back then the pier broke all the time and I could stop and look at it all day while on the job.  Pretty dreamy.

 

D.R.



 

 



One more month and summer will be officially here.  Summer means long sunny days and usually small to no surf around my local break.  But when there is a little surf it is usually fun.

Summer is for small wave surfboards.  Some guys don’t like it but long boards are great for small waves.  If you can’t ride a long board and always ride a short board then the alt boards that are wider and usually even shorter than the normal short board are a good ride too.

But, the traditional long board in my book is the ultimate small wave surfboard.  Catching waves is easy,  fading left go right or right go left, step up and trim, step back for a reset, step up for a nose ride,  step back and cut back, step up a reset again.  Unlike a short board where you move around on the wave face, on the long board you move around on the board itself.

When the waves are small there’s not much wave face to move around on. Moving around on a long board takes wave knowledge, timing, balance, coordination.  And to do it well.. style.  Riding a short board takes all the same stuff of course but, in small surf the long board is so much fun.

Maybe it’s just me and memories from days long gone.  But, warm summer days at the beach surfing, hanging on the beach and surfing some more… always on a long board because that’s all there was… is what I see as the ultimate for surfing during summer.

And sure, there are some summer swells that have some size, and depending on where you are can give you a good pounding.  But, for the most part summer is the laid back, take it easy, have fun kind of stuff all surfers enjoy.

D.R.



 

 

What can be said about classic lines?  Nothing needs to be added to them or taken away.  Classic lines don’t get old… or better put, you don’t tire of a classic line.  And, every time you see a classic line it captures your attention, even if you’ve seen it 20 times or 100 times or more…

Classic lines are in car bodies, boats, buildings, musical instruments, furniture, of course that’s not all.

For surfboards the lines are curves. Bottom curves, deck curves, how the two curves fit together. Outline curves, from tip to tail.  How the outline curve accelerates and then will stretch but never become flat or straight. How all the curves blend from where they start to where they end. 

I really like the curves below.  First drawn on foam in 1967 and to this day I have never tired of it.

D.R.



 

 



Photo by David Pu’u

Some guys are lucky… they grow up at the beach, that is, their family just happens to live at the beach while they’re growing up. 

I would think if you did it would be pretty easy to get into surfing. I wasn’t lucky like that. Though we almost moved to Oxnard Shores when I was a teenager.. I talk about that here. 

My son was pretty lucky, we didn’t live on the beach, but in a beach town and close enough to walk to the beach, and a nice surf spot. 

So my family didn’t live at the beach or in a beach town when I was a kid but we did spend time at the beach…. camping no less.  When I was a little guy my dad would pack us up and go camping at the beach.  Back then you could pitch a tent right on the sand, no permit, no parking fees.

But anyway,  I’m going to guess that at a young age spending time at the beach, and more than a day trip, is what’s responsible for me being happy at the beach and interested in things that you do at the beach… like surf.

Running around at the waters edge. Playing in the sand, the sun on your back, it all gets ingrained in you. If you like it you just want more. Happy stuff, fun stuff, great memories that stay with you for a life time.

D.R.

Me, 3 years old taking care of business on a camping trip at the beach. As tanned as I was, you know I was spending time in the sun and sand.

My son at 3 years old on one of our many camping trips at the beach. He's happy!

 

 

To most guys it’s all about the shape…. And a board should be shaped well, though a not so perfectly shaped board still can ride very well.

But take a well shaped board and do a lousy lamination and that nice shaped board is not as nice. It may ride great but the lamination is a distraction. Take a well shaped board and combine it with a killer lamination and you’ve got a really nice surfboard.

Doing something different with the shape of a surfboard is not easy.  Doing something different in the lamination process is not easy either.  Being unique is hard… it takes a fair amount of thought, and work.

So I’m working on a couple boards in the laminating process and I have an idea. I can see what I’d like this one new board to look like, or the way I’d like to color it but the application is tricky.  I’ve spent at least a couple hours trying to figure out how I’m going to get the look I want.

You’d think making my first surfboard 50 years ago and making them ever since I’d not have anything to think about when it comes to the process. Surfing is a never ending search, about finding new places on the wave face or off the wave face or just getting to be a better surfer.  And, for some, crafting surfboards is a never ending process… really the art craft part of it.

Well, I think I’ve figured out how to do what I want to do to make this new board color thing.  I’ll probably be the only guy that knows it’s uniquely different… because it won’t really look like much.  And that really doesn’t matter, because I’ll be content that I’ve done something different… again.

D.R.



  

There are a some surfboards with square noses and of course there is the square tail… a short straight area, but really the only straight thing in a surfboard is the stringer.

Did you ever wonder about that? The only straight line in a surfboard is the stringer…  not counting the odd diamond shaped rails seen on a few boards out there.  Rockers are curves, outlines are curves, decks are curves. Now bottoms can be flat from rail to rail but usually this is only a small area, because the bottom will also incorporate Vees, roll or concaves.

The stringer in foam boards help the board from flexing past its breaking point. We want the board to flex but without a stringer they will break too easily. As well, the stringer will give the board a stiffer feel or flex which can be a good thing for overall performance. I make boards with specific stringer sizes and or placement for specific performance characteristics.

I’ve been making and riding boards with perimeter stringers now for 3 or 4 years.  They ride really well.  A soft flex, not as stiff, more lively.  So how about a board with a lighter or narrow center, straight stringer and perimeter stringers too.  On a long board it would be the contemporary equivalent of the traditional 3 stringer board.

D.R.

 





You find something you like, you buy the thing you like, because you like it.  Then, you go back for more, all be it a couple years later and the thing you like has changed.

I hate that!  A nice Tee shirt doesn’t need to change does it?  I’ve got a nice Tee shirt, well made, very good cut and fit.  Then I get a couple new ones from my wife for Christmas and the new ones don’t fit the same.  The sleeves are shorter, the neck is a bit tight and the fit across the back shoulders is funky.  It’s a $25 shirt for crying out loud!

So I think where was the new one made? I look at the label… Haiti it says. I look at the label of the older nice fitting one… Made in Mexico it says.  So what? The same patterns can’t be used at both places? Ok, I don’t get it.

I’m told that FCS is coming out with a new fin system.  Something wrong with the old one?  Or the old, old one.  Well the old, old one is still available… that’s nice.  But now a new, new one?  The new one has only been available for about 4 years I think. Now another new one?  So now we’ve got to retool and retrain for another system.  I don’t get it.

So, one of the board models I make was first introduced in 1966.  I still make it now…so it’s 47 years old.  I’ve gotten better at making it but it’s still the same board. If it works, done fix it!  I get that.

 D.R.

 

 

 

I’ve been making my hulls since 1969. I’m not going to fix them either.