RF: What are you riding these days?
I’ve been having a blast on some longer single fins that I turned into 2+1’s; widow-makers. They are really similar to the type of single-fins I learned on in the late 70s: single-wing, round pins, slight beak nose, wide-point forward. But they have modern rockers and bottoms, I’ve added the side-bites which I found really helps, especially through full rail-to-rail transitions within the roundhouse cutback.
I’m also into Carl’s (Ekstrom) Asyms [Asymmetrical Board Shapes] , and I’m due for the next adventure with Carl. He’s going to do one with the long rail on my heel side. I have so many fun boards right now it’s stupid. I’ve been on the search for the perfect round board. I’ve also been really into the hand plane thing. I can spend 20 minutes swimming with a hand plane and get such a great workout. They waves can be crap, which they often are, but all I need is a 1’-foot wave, an open shoulder.
I’ve been doing a little bit of stand-up too. Long distance runs, which for me is 2 miles (ha). I will say that I’ve taken to that role of aging-shortboard-martyr-dude. You know that crusty older dude that stubbornly sits and sits and sits, up to his armpits in water, for a meager little wave on his 5’ 10” short board while longboarders and SUP’s are doing laps around him? That’s me. Sometimes I laugh at myself, “How did I become that guy?” Usually that’s about the time I realize it’s time to swim with the hand plane.
RF: A mainstay of your shows is the tribute to a legendary shaper, I see you have Mark Richards involved this year.
Yes. I am super excited about MR being honored at THE BOARDROOM. I’m calling it the Icons of Foam Tribute. US Blanks is the presenting sponsor and it will follow a similar format to other shape-off competitions. As you know, MR is a 4X World Champion on the ASP World Tour. He is a super person, a wonderful ambassador, a surfing and shaping legend. MR has selected some contemporaries as well as some newer guys to shape. The list is solid: Reno, Rawson, Ricky Carroll (2X winner), Wayne Rich (2X winner and defending champ), John Pyzel (John John’s shaper) and young gun, 15-year-old Taz from the Canary Islands. The MR twin fin is a classic. What MR did on those boards was absolutely masterful. Look, if you get me started on MR I could go on for days. I think the one thing that really sticks out for me, is that he is one of only two World Champions to shape his own equipment while on a World Title campaign. The other being PT (Peter Townend). Today that’s is simply unheard of.
RF: What about Slater?
Kelly Slater might be in that mix as well. I’m simply not sure how far Kelly translates his designs from the computer to the shaping bay. I certainly do not want to shortchange Kelly. And if he has actually finish, shaped and signed a board that he rode during a world-title campaign, than I want to give him that due as well. Regardless, Slater deserves a lot of credit for opening up the minds of the every day surfer. Kelly is in a powerful position and when he rides something new people sit up and take notice. Just look at Sean Mattison’s Nubster fin.
Kelly is an advocate of surfboard design and the surfboard industry. On the webcasts he is often talking about board design, not just his own, but his fellow competitors. It is great for the surfboard industry. In many ways Kelly personifies what Tom Morey was discussing in that article. Kelly is that hardcore surfer who is taking all the tools, the computer, the technologies, the new fins systems, the new foams – all of it, and he’s experimenting. It is not a one-size-fits-all world, and Slater, just as a consequence of his own curious nature and his position as ad-hoc spokesman for surfing, helps push that way of thinking.
RF: What underground shaper fits that mold, a guy who is experimenting with new technologies and all the tools that are out there?
Well, I shouldn’t really name names because, well really there are too many to name here. You know, we’re going to have a ‘Best of Show’ area within THE BOARDROOM and the viewing public can put in their vote on this very subject. There are five different categories: concept board, longboard, shortboard, sustainable, and wood. The winners of each category will be put into the finals and the viewing public will decide the ‘Best of Show’ from the five category winners. We are asking each exhibitor to enter a board but you don’t have to be an exhibitor to enter a board. It’ll be a great viewing area with state-of-the-art boards. There will be drool buckets… and towels.
RF: I saw on a recent press release that you are including something called ‘Cinema Grotto.’ What exactly is that and does it include Playboy Bunnies?
Ah. No, no Playboy Bunnies. We’re going to view short films in the Cinema Grotto. The short film genre has been an effective story telling device for, pardon the pun, a long time. It’s also much more challenging for the filmmaker. There are some incredible short films out there. The San Diego Surf Film Festival inspired me to ask some of these filmmakers to show off their films at THE BOARDROOM. Of course we are hoping to show Markus Davids new documentary on the legendary shapers called, fittingly, BoardRoom – Legends of Shaping.
RF: What else do you have planned for THE BOARDROOM?
Oh man, lots of stuff. Tons of live shaping and an inside the shaping bay Q & A design discussion with the worlds best board builders including Rusty Preisendorfer, Matt Biolos, Chris Christenson, Matt Calvani, Daniel Tomson and many others. A morning board & gear demo at 15th St., a longboard skate-zone, live performance surf art benefitting long time Hobie shaper Terry Martin (RIP) & the Sport of Kings Foundation, the Surfing Heritage Foundation Gun Club lounge, live music, a vintage surf swap & appraisals, free surfboards. It’d be best to check out the website for all the info and the happs.
RF: One last thing, when and where?
October 6 & 7 Del Mar Fairgrounds; doors open at 10am.
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