Hello everyone! well, maybe its hello no one due to my lack of blogging diligence as of late but just wanted to touch base here and update. Things have been going very well, shaping a bunch the last few months and looking to keep it going strong in to new year. The board swap with Skip is almost complete, just waiting for the
noserider to get polished and hope to slide it next week, if he doesn't first, but of he wants too, thats totally okay with me! He seems to be pretty stoked with the 7'11 Quad Fish Simmons he's been sliding "No hang ups" he says, which is great considering his other thoughts about quads hes shared in the past. It's been a real honor to be able to have built him a board. I've been traveling a bit also. Was lucky to be in Japan for two weeks with Andy, Tyler and Jeff tagging along on the 3 Amigos Tour. Tyler and Andy both painted two boards for the show and our gracious hosts showed us an amazing time. That being my first trip to Japan I can't wait to go back. Also shaped a small batch of boards there. Came home for a day then headed off to New York en route to
Puerto Rico, spent 5 days in the city. Hung mostly at the New York Surf Film Festival as the producers are good friends of mine. Thanks to all who let me hang out there, big ups to FM
Bouroughs! From there took a wicked red eye flight to
Aguadilla and was met at the airport by Tony
Yordan, owner of
Playero. Drove to the
Rincon side to Tony's house, met the whole family and then of course went for a surf immediately there after. A huge thank you to Tony and Gigi for taking me in and letting me stay at their place, and for allowing me to drive to the factory in their car, thank goodness Tony was with me when a young one decided to not look
in front of him while driving and rear ended us! No one hurt, we were only moving 2 miles and hour! I hope the damage is easily fixable. Was able to shape some boards down there for some customers and the shop! Can't wait to get back there either. Hope everyone likes the boards! Trying to introduce a few new models down there,
because when there is
swell, there is some heavy water moving. Also huge thank you to Che, Nestor and his son Guayli for letting me occupy their space for a week at the shop so i could shape. Very very talented craftsmen all of em. PR has a good thing going with this group of surfers and I'm really excited to see what contiues to come out of this factory! Got back and have been trying to get through the last of the big summer orders. The season started slow and then everyone decided to order batches all at the same time! so its taken me a little while to get through. but almost there.
What else has been shaking???? Sacred Craft was awesome this year. was really happy to have two booth spaces, makes it easier for showing boards. Just had truly memorable moments with a lot of people I look up to and respect. One in particular was when Terry Martin came and hung out sitting on the van seat talking story! Classic! Rich Pavel making an appearance also, along with Skip, Roper, Bird,
RK, Hank Warner, all people who have been influential on me growing up and still continue with their support. Many other names and faces whom came by, not leaving you out! Just shaped recently two boards ordered by Thomas Campbell, one a 10'10 double
ender/eagle type board for his personal stash, and a 7'0 Long Fish Quad, on behalf of
Rasta and Thomas for their friend Chris Berry, whom I'm to believe, I think, will be having his music featured in T
Moes new movie. (just what i think based on conversations with T Moe) Funny thing about this story, i shaped Thomas' board almost literally to the day, 9 years later, the same week that The Seedling premiered at La Paloma and was
completely unaware that he had
snuck a wave of mine in to Skip's section.. how full circle is that? The reason i knew the date is that in my shaping room is a Seedling poster with the taped on La Paloma
attachment. I couldn't believe the coincidence of that! So a huge
thank you to Thomas (and Skip) for that one wave. its kind of spooky to think of the foreshadowing potential of the one little clip.
Look for some shows to be happening in the next little while. The New Pod Room is looking to do a show also might get to collab with Harry the Hat and a show at the Surf Indian but we'll see where that stands soon! Will for sure keep you posted.
My good friend Manny Caro has moved down to Encinitas from San Fran and will be shaping full time now at the Moonbase! Keep a look out for some new wave sliding vehicles that he is creating, more of the round, tri plane hull type! Very excited for him to be down here.
Trying to put together a batch of shirts for the holidays, will try to run some of the classic kelp logo and some of the Monster t's as well.
Overall blessings have happened all around this year and just a thank everyone for the support and feedback of boards, too many thanks to give out to everyone. just keep a few orders coming! with no shaped blanks, means that there are 2 -8 people per shop with no work, and they are the core of the industry and our integral in keeping the heritage and culture of building surfboards alive/
DOn't think for one second the overseas production companies carfe two cents about the history and the culture, they are only worried about bottom lines and price points. Don't buy bar codes, we have to keep supporting our local
shapers and glassing crews!!!! or else this could
dissipate like a lot of other unique cultures in this world have.
the cameras in route to being fixed so daily bloggin will resume shortly!
