Comfterbuls

OMG!

...more on that development next week :)

If I Was to Say to You

7'4 VeloSim

...Girl we couldn't get much higher...

WaveGliding

A shot of Nico @ Wavegliders hotcoating the day away on the spoon we built together while I was in Portugal...

I get the sense that shapers don't like to share details of their work and designs for fear of having them copied, i don't understand that so much; if you're reliant on a machine to shape your boards then yes absolutely you should be worried; anything can be duplicated...but it seems to me that if you rely on your hands and  your intuition and design sensibilities as a shaper (or more specifically a hand shaper), nobody can copy your work; it's an extension of your brain and your heart...While I was visiting I spilled my guts about hulls and foils and my theory behind my boards and the couple common threads that link my boards together, flavor-wise, and that definitely isn't color work or a pelican logo.  Knowing full well that no matter what is taken from my school of thought, that Nico will put his own personal touches on it and make a whole different surf-being.

among other things, I taught the guys how to build a proper flex spoon, all my tricks and numbers which are readily available on the net and in person if you look deep enough and far enough into one of Greenough's creations...It was so much fun breathing a little bit of weird and acceptance into the media saturated and mini-pro-surf-team-heavy surf culture that is slowly growing the tumor of alternative surfboards in Portugal;  Wavegliders is going to be a cancer in a few years.  

I wholeheartedly love the people I spent time with there, they could not have been more gracious and willing to share their experiences as well as listen to mine and trade ideas and thoughts, it was a serious 11 day bootcamp in surfboard design, theory and application...so much love!

so much thanks....

DoodleDEEdoo...DoodleDEE DOO DOOOOOO...

f*ck yeah that DID just happen to your life.

Halfway Home

On a layover in NY and thought I'd throw up a couple pics from Portugal before i get too deep into photo land...I think i've got a few hundred to thumb through!

big thanks to Andre Carvalho for the last photo, check out his blog @ UmFrameComVida! 

Globe Trotting x 2

Wwwwwwwwell im still in portugal, and im not gonna use any complex punctuation because all of the computer buttons here are different and im too tired to try...but here goes.

today i sampled some european waves and so far so good despite some serious onshore flow, the water is clean and the views from the lineup are incredible, so that helps! I finished building my travel board today that will stay here for the Wavegliders gang, so i get to try my new asym. tail and fin setup hull in the new waters of Peniche tomorrow...stoked to say the least!

The countryside is absolutely amazing here, the people are fantastic and life is super relaxed, despite having my orders more than doubled yesterday!! The wonderful people at Wallako Surfshop in France have ordered a bunch of boards which makes me a very happy shaper :) (check that out...advanced punctuation!).

and thats that for now!

Portugalling

Word up from Portugal, everyone!
I don´t have too much to say at the moment aside from this place f.ing rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no waves yet, lots of wind, lots of shaping, and its absolutely beautiful. more than I had ever expected, and I´ve wanted to come here since I was a wee baby...my computer is dead but i´ll post some photos from it when she´s back in action!
-R

Twinsies for the Brull Bros

You may have seen Jack Brull's blog, now see his and his brother's matching VeloSims...snazzy!

Yee.haw

Joseph, official PCGrom and one of my first 3 customers ever, making my thruster-shaping abilities look legit!

I've made probably 6 full on thrusters...Joseph has been the recipient of a few of them, and is putting them to good use!

E.Burt

Erica B.'s shiny new 9'4 Pointer.

I love this board.

And a small aside, I'm off to Portugal tomorrow until the end of the month, so any Euro bros if you wanna put in an order, its crunch time...i'm gonna be well busy during my time there so get an order in before i'm too booked!

Even if you don't need a new board and just wanna come hang out and entertain me, come by.  I'd love to meet some new faces while I'm there!  I'll be based at Wavegliders 'till the 26th....epic!

667...How did I miss 666?!?!?!

Post #667...can't belive I missed #666...damn.

Either way, happy saturday.  I hope you're sliding around your favorite waves, or hanging out with you favorite people...I know I am :)

BP Spills Their Coffee

Mini Foiled

Chip A's 7'11" MiniGider with custom fin, ready and willing :)

Flossin'

Flossy Ross holdin' it down at the 'Bu riding my current hull...photos by the ever gracious

 Big Steve.

Gold Leafer

10' d.Bowls for a very lucky Sean M. up in the PacNW!

1" balsa stringer flanked with 1/8" cedar and a little bit of gold leaf in the mix for good luck

...so perdy :)

Adventures In Textile

Cloth inlays are hazardous to your mental health when cutting, and again when applying pinlines.  I prescribe a 'sit back and check out the final product' approach works well to counteract the situation, though.

Somewhat of a v2.0 of the velosim, a bit more foiled and loosened up slightly; fin position is changed as well as fin template...thought i'd share this one :)  

Renovations

Thought i'd throw out a premature announcement about the new website version coming in the next two weeks-ish!

gonna be some bard model updates, some minor layout changes, a MAJOR gallery renovation and most exciting of all for me is the new online store...As many of you guys have found out, I hardly ever have stock boards for sale because i don't like having much overhead as i'm as ever, a smalltime builder; BUT, i decided to use up some of my storage space in the shop for some new boards that i can have for those interested parties who would rather not wait for a new sled!

It'll be full of good stuff, new boards, used ones, oddities, clothes and dates with Herbie.  

Here is a quick preview of a few of the boards that will be up for sale when I get everything sorted out here shortly:

 

Take Me Home

Hip hop may not be for everyone, but the words in this one [to me] are something to live by and have brought me through a lot of difficult times...thought it was time to share this one even though its a little 'different' than some might expect:

Whoa Nelly

Currently at shelter surf shop; a velo inspired/templated 6' hull...the template is straight off an early 60's balsa greenough spoon (most likely a camera board) and stretched.

Unnecessary Observations

(hull, rough shape)

I'm relatively out of the loop of the surf industry, so I don't know eeeeeverything, but I do learn after time and I'm learning now just how many people are machine shaping all of their boards...I'm blown away! I thought the majority of 'alternative boards' were hand shaped and I do realize that with more volume the machine comes in very handy if you don't have a helper (just think in the 60's and so on...there was way more than one shaper at a big name board house).

(same hull, finished)

I'm not speaking out against machine shaping, I'm just expressing my surprise at just how many well known 'alternative' guys rely on the machine and talk about how they craft things; machines are great tools but I'd be hard pressed to call it crafting anything.

Its a crazy world we live in!

and ps- I shaped my first full balsa board today (9'6 d.bowls), and RESPECT to the guys who built those day in and out back in the day as the 'standard'.

Japan Photos 1

Jp Surfmobile

If you receive a poor fortune at a temple, you can tie it to a rack; as the wind blows through them it washes the bad fortune away.

Fiberglass.

A Freeway Self Portrait

11hrs

I'm flying back to home-country today, Japan has been absolutely amazing!

Photos will be coming soon, in true RL style I forgot the USB cord for my camera back at home...a full photo essay will be coming shortly!

If you emailed me before I left and i asked you to contact me when I get back, now's 'tha time!

-R