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!