What would you say if you were asked to fill a void on your high school surf team long board division but you really didn’t long board much?

Travis Riley was asked and he said OK. This was for the 06-07 ISF season. Travis had surfed long boards but didn’t consider himself a longboarder. Not being a longboarder got him started after the first surf meet at tied for 35^th, or dead last.

It seems that didn’t affect Travis to much because he continued surfing in the meets and continued to advance and rise in the standings. And come June there was one last surf meet to be held for the final standings and a surf off between the two rival teams Santa Barbara High and Ventura High.

Travis had his pick of boards to ride and at first he was going to ride my new prototype quad long board. The event was held at Pipe in Ventura and the surf… as usual for a surf meet… was not looking that great. So, Travis decided to ride an Imperial, thinking it to be the right equipment for small and somewhat sloppy surf and, his plan paid off.

Travis surfed in 3 heats. The first one was the team heat where Santa Barbara and Ventura went head to head. Travis took first place. The second heat Travis won as well which advanced him to the finals. Then he went on to take first place in the final beating out the leagues 1^st, 2^nd and 3rd place contenders and putting himself at number 4 in the over all standings for the season. From 35^th to 4^th and winning the final event! Way to go Travis, and doing it on a D.R.

Summertime.

We’ve been having a really nice summer this year here in Ventura. Usually the sky becomes overcast sometime in May and rarely breaks until sometime in July. This year we’ve had many sunny days and when it has been overcast the sun has been breaking out at some point for at least a couple hours. And I’m always saying…’if it was like this all the time I wouldn’t think about moving back to Hawaii so much’.

The water temps are in the 60’s so not to bad, and we’ve had some surf. At least something to ride, though pretty small, about every week so far.

I don’t know about you but, I’ve always like summer. Is it because as kids we didn’t have school and could just hang and do what ever and that feeling stays with us? Or, maybe when I was younger without responsibilities after shaping I'd go with the crew and hunt for surf. The days being long we’d still have plenty of time to hit Stanleys for a wind swell or run to Secos if there was a small south. We could surf right at the point too if it hadn’t blown out. All those great times and memories ingrained in the feeling of summer days.

I like summer swells a lot. The more casual surf, warmer water. Here in Ventura the south swells are a bit more steep, fun to ride, a nice hot dog kind of thing.

You can surf before work because it gets light by 5:30A and you can surf after work because it’s not dark until after 8:00P. I got some nice surf with light crowds with this last south swell. Went down to surf between 6:30p and 7:00p a couple days in a row and had a great time.

I think maybe I’ll get up early tomorrow and surf before I go into the shop…. Summertime.

D.R.

I’m a Lucky guy part 2.

My shop had been in need of a cleaning. The floors haven’t been redone for 6 months. As well there were a few things I’ve been wanting to upgrade around the place.

Well, I decided Friday, Saturday and if need Sunday to take care of putting down new floors and the upgrade work. My son helped with the floor along with the Riley boys on Friday. The job took about 3 or 4 hours and went well. Thanks so much guys!

My wife was out too, with food, snacks and hydration. And she helped out around the place as well. As a matter of fact, she came out about mid day Friday and stayed with me working and cleaning up until about 7 p.m.

Then Saturday she came out with me and continued to help out all day Saturday. We didn’t leave the shop until around 5 p.m. Went home for dinner and then went out to Lowe’s to pick up the material I needed to complete the projects I started earlier. This morning, Sunday now, we went out for breakfast and then my wife came with me again to the shop and spent the whole day helping around the place until I was finally finished at 6 p.m.

She is so supportive and helpful, hanging with me until we’re done. I’ve got to be one of the luckiest guys.

D.R.

Growing up as a surfer… you get started early. In this case 6 years old. Go for paddle outs with your ole man on his tanker.

When you graduate to going out on your own it’s with the ole man but on one of his other boards, not your own. And when you finally get your own board it is special made, it’s 6’0 but only as wide as the length of your arm so you can carry it to the beach by yourself.

The only way you go surfing is either with your dad or your mom takes you when the ole man is busy. Though eventually you get to go on your own. And because you live within walking distance to the beach, a nice point by the way, it’s not that difficult. As a matter of fact, the ole man makes you a rickshaw so the trip is made easy on your bicycle.

Surfing becomes virtually an everyday thing. So much so that when your dad comes home from work and needs you for something but you’re not home he knows right where you are. One of three locations along the point, where you always surf.

Your parents never worry about you being at the beach by yourself because your ole man has plenty surfer friends and they all know you and keep their eye on you when you’re surfing. So in reality you aren’t alone anyway.

As you grow up surfing is ingrained into who you are and what you do. Though you do other things you love the beach and most likely will always surf. And when you do, alot of the times it's with your ole man, just like when your were young.

A short story of my son Robin.

D.R.

The difference between boards.

Having videos is really a nice thing. Being able to review how a board is riding as well as how you are surfing is made easy via replays of video.

We’ve got video of Travis Riley riding the Quad and an Imperial. The Quad being a high performance long board that weights around 15 lbs. and the Imperial, a retro long board or traditional single fin that weights around 23 lbs.

Travis weights in at 150 lbs. the Quad is 9’1 and 22 ¼ wide. The Imperial in the video Travis is riding is 10’ and 23 ½ wide. He surfs both boards well and with the videos you can see the differences in the way each board works under his feet. The Quad is lively and bounces around a bit. The Imperial being a heavier board you can see the stability and glide. Among other things of course.

Is it a question of which one do you like or what one would you prefer to ride? Or, is it a question of which one should I ride at a certain break in certain conditions? Would you want one over the other or would you want both, and use them as surf and conditions dictate? Or mood for that matter.

D.R.

Travis riding the Quad

Travis on the Imperial