9-8 Classic anyone...?

Polished up, nice and shiny...looking for an owner

Late summer noserider, Part 2...

Finally picked up my new 10-0 Classic. Just the ticket for those small days at the Point. Dims are 18-3/4"x23-1/2"x15-3/4"   3-1/4" thick.



This board has the typical "Classic Model" features: half-length, blended nose-concave, moderate tail-"V", low entry rocker and slight flip in tail rocker.

I usually do the traditional "eggy" 50/50 rail on the Classic, but this time I went with a more modern 60/40 tucked rail. That tucked edge provides good water release for a slippier" ride.

That fin is the new Slick Regulator by True Ames. Every new board deserves a new fin!

Late summer nose rider...

Shaped a 10-0 Classic model "for the shop" last week, and today it's getting glassed. Here Ray is masking-off the deck before he does the bottom.

Doing it in the hip-and-groovy, shabby-chic, two-tone resin tint. Ray has this style down to a science.

 Here Ray is adding the clear resin coat that covers 2/3 of the board. Deck will be done the same way. 

Another happy customer...

This board has been on the market for quite a while. Not sure why. I rode it more than a half-dozen times and always found it to be a great, all-around longboard. Finally Dan, who has owned a few of my mid-size shapes over the past couple of years, snatched it up over the weekend. This was his feedback on the board: "Took the new Nova out at County Line this morning.  Had a blast!  Thanks for the board!" That's pretty much the typical response I get from Nova owner's. I've refined the Nova model over the past 8 yrs. It catches waves easy, turns easy, and noserides whenever you feel like it. What more can you ask for in a longboard?  I always have one in my quiver, and you should too!!

9-1 Speedster....

Here's the latest 9-1 x 22-3/4" x 3-1/8" Nova Speedster, finished in tri-color resin tint.

The Nova Speedster is built for surfing off the tail in quality waves, shoulder-high or better. The design features slight nose concave, flat mid-section and double concaves in the generous tail V. Wide-point is just behind center.

 Notice that  the thin brown stripe marks the spot where tail-V is at max depth and where the outline curve begins to pull into the pintail. A rocker photo would show the tail rocker starting to accelerate at this spot as well. This is also the spot where the tail concaves start. It is this combination of compound curves that creates ball-bearing-like turns and high-speed carves.

Don't be left out when the next big swell hits. Order yours today!

'nuther Nova...

The Nova is my most popular longboard model, and for good reason. It has a wide wave range and can be ridden as a single-fin, 2+1 or twin-with-trailer (a la Infinity Cluster-V). I build this model from 9'0" to 10'6", with thickness depending upon rider weight and experience. Here's the latest in the popular "Ice Blue" Tint finish.

In an earlier post I mentioned the option of choosing stringer glue color on custom boards. This board was ordered with a 3/8" basswood stringer and dark blue pinline. Blue stringer glue was a no brainer...








No extra charge for the fancy pinline corners and the  "through-the-box" leash loop.

Board's dimensions are 9-6, 17-7/8" x 23-1/8" x 13-3/4"  3-1/8" thick.

This board was finished last week. Next up is a 5-stringer 7-6 Nomad and a 5-4 Mini-Widget Quad. Photos coming soon....

One for the shop...

In between all the recent board orders I've taken, I managed to slip in one for the "shop". This is a 9-6 Nova which is my all-around, go-to, modern longboard shape. It's a board you can take to the beach almost any day and have a great time. Chest-high or smaller, pop out the side-bites and add a 9.5" center-fin (Velzy NR by True Ames is my favorite) and "enjoy the glide, the slide and the occasional noseride". Shoulder-high or bigger, pop in the 3.7" side bites and your favorite 7"-7.5" narrow tip center-fin, and enjoy top-to-bottom turns and cheater-fives through speedy sections. A narrow tail and moderate tail V, make this board turn effortlessly, while the half-length, blended nose-concave and moderate nose width invite endless noserides. If you only have budget for one LB in your quiver, the Nova is your best choice. Dimensions: 9'6" 18" x 23" x 14-1/4"  3-1/8"

Foiled at both ends

Love this medium thick tucked rail!

This board was glassed with two layers of 6oz E-Cloth on the deck and one layer of 6oz E-Cloth on the bottom. Ray used just a "stick-dip or two" of yellow pigment in the resin, added a red pinline and finished with gloss and polish.

I love yellow surfboards!!

Another new stick for Kirt...

This is an 8-4 Nomad Quad + 1, with a double-bump round-pin tail. The 5-fin set-up allows Kirt the greatest range of fin configuration choices; Single, Twin, Twin with trailer, 2+1, or quad. Boards dimensions are 8-4 16-3/4" x 22-1/2" x 15-1/2"  3". Bottom is fairly flat in the middle, with slight convex in the nose and V in the tail. Board has low entry rocker with and a slight kick in the tail. The double-bump tail, tail-rocker kick and V placement will keep this board loose and free despite its relative size. The low rocker makes it an easy paddling board that will be very fast when in trim. Now all Kirt has to do is to decide which fins to use.

A Red Stripe for Summer....

This “Classic” model is a great summer board, built for gliding and noseriding in knee- to waist-high waves. Dimensions are 9’4”  18-3/4” x 23-1/2” x 16”  3-1/8”. While only 9-4, the board has a very full outline to maximize planing surface. It has all the features of a classic noserider; wide tip with half-length nose concave, 50/50 egg rails, and moderate tail “V” for smooth turns and flowing cutbacks. Traditionalists will love the low nose rocker and the kicked tail rocker. The reduced area of the crescent tail, aka “moon tail”, functions a lot like a swallow tail, allowing the tail to be sunk more easily.

 The blank was ordered with a 3/8” basswood stringer and two “glue” cuts, with red glue.

Colored glue is an inexpensive way to add a little custom detail to any board. Most of the basic colors are available and there’s no extra charge. With glue cuts, the blank is cut as specified by the shaper and then glued back together. The end result is a very thin pinline in the color of choice. Glue cuts are $15 per cut.

I ordered this board with the tougher, but more expensive Silane cloth, double 6-oz deck and single 6-oz bottom. Finished with gloss and polish, and my favorite noseriding fin, a 9.5” Velzy NR by True Ames. Glass work by Lucke Glassing.   
Retail price = $760 including fin

Water temps are starting to warm up and south-west swells have started to make their way up the coast. Current delivery time is only 3 weeks. Time to order that new summer board before the June rush.

9-0 Classic

Here's a 9-0 Classic with a wide-body design. The fuller outline increases planing surface for easier wave catching in small-wave conditions. Dimensions are 19" x 24" x 16-1/2" 3". Board has all the Classic model features like pinched 50/50 rails, noserider rocker, tail V and blended, half-length nose concave. The outline has a decided "hip" in the outline located at the same place that tail rocker begins to accelerate and tail V is at max depth. On a longboard, the integration of these three features is critical for effortless turns and amazingly smooth cut-backs.

9-0 Classic with proud new owner

I added a crescent (aka "Moon") tail with flow-through deck scoop. A variation of the square-tail design and much like a swallow-tail, the crescent or moon tail shortens the turning radius and allows slightly greater tail penetration. The tail scoop directs water flow over the tail-block, helping to weigh the tail for improved noseriding.

Photos courtesy of  SliderMagazine.com

I just finished shaping a 9-4 version for the shop which will be available in early May. With the small waves of summer just around the corner, now is the time for you to order a custom Classic.

New Board for Tom...

Chris brought in his dad's 15-yr old Stewart and asked if I could shape something similar. I kept the outline similar, but made some changes in the bottom contours to update the performance. I used a "green" density foam blank from USBlanks and 6-oz Silane cloth on deck and bottom. Replacing the 3/16" cedar stringers with 1/8" cedar compensated for the extra weight of the denser foam. End result is a board that is more durable but no heavier than the board its replacing.

Father and son with old and new

Old and new bottom view

Board dimensions: 9'6" 18-3/4" x 23-3/4" x 14"   3-1/8"  Custom laminated wood tailblock and new True Ames fins finish off this classic beauty.

Dolphin Fan's Noserider



Dolphin fan Ilan and brother Tito

       I shaped this 9-6 Neo Single-fin for Miami Dolphin Fan Ilan. Boards dimensions are 9-6 18-3/4" x 23" x 15-3/8"  3". Board has typical Neo features: half-length, blended nose concave, moderate "V" in tail and eggy, 60/40 rails.

The two 1/8" cedar stringers can be seen clearly through the tourqoise and orange resin tint glass job (by Ray Lucke).  A clear True Ames "Slick" model center fin finishes off this noseriding beauty.

Ilan was able to watch the entire shaping process from raw blank to finished shape.





Heading to a nearby break for a little tip-time...

Winter swell dreamin'...

Late Fall is a time to put away the noserider and break out the “winter board”. In this case, a 9-6 blue tint, reverse-lap, pinlined Nova Speedster Pintail, sporting TA side-bites and a 7” Wayne Rich Classic center fin, all in red (of course!). Dimensions are: 17-1/2” x 22-3/4” x 13-3/4” 3”

What's unique about this board is that I used a “red” density USBlanks blank. This is the density that most PU shortboards use. To counteract the lower density (and to prevent excessive heel denting) I used the more expensive, but stronger Silane cloth, instead of E-cloth. End result is a relatively lightweight longboard, which will resist excessive denting (or so I hope)

I kept the rocker at just over 4” in the nose and just under 4” in the tail, and used more of a continuous curve throughout. There's slight concave in the nose and a fair amount of V in the tail.

Like all of my "Shop" boards (wink, wink, nod, nod) this one's for sale. Shoot me an email if interested.

8-8 Mini-Nova Squaretail...

This custom board was built for return customer Kirt who has a penchant for geometric color designs and fast single-fin longboards. The board's dims: 8-8 18" x 22-3/8" x 14-5/8"  3-1/8". The rails are pinched 50/50 with a hard edge in the last 16" of the tail. Bottom features subtle nose concave with "V" in the tail. Laminated wood tailblock punctuates the cedar/basswood T-band stringer. Color work by Ray Lucke is a combination of air-spray and black resin stripes.

Long and Short....

Busy week at the shop can be seen in photo below. Blanks waiting for further action are a 4'3" T-Belly for James in Nor Cal and a 9'6" Nova Speedster for the shop. Others include a 4-pak of SUPs fresh off the CNC machine, and a ding repair in the foreground. Can't you just smell the resin?

Abstract art goes surfing...

Kirt loves his colors bright and bold, and with a Modern Art flavor a la Piet Mondrian. He's also a fan of sub-9' longboards, made for speed and responsiveness. This 8-10 Mini-Nova Speedster fills the bill nicely.

Dimensions: 8'10" 17-1/2" x 22-1/2" x 14" 3-1/8" NR5-1/2" TR3-5/8". Bottom has a nice continuous rocker with double-concaves and V in the tail. Amazing air-spray work by Ray Lucke of
Lucke Glassing in Camarillo, CA, with gloss and polish finish.

Designed with a 2+1 fin box configuration, Kirt surfs it more like a tri-fin with "schimitar" side bites and a 4-1/2" center fin.

Pickup day is always a happy day!

Keeping it in the family...

This 10-0 Nova is headed for my son-in-law. The Nova is a very versatile shape and can easily be fine-tuned to meet the needs of its intended rider. In this case I kept the design very simple and straight-forward shape-wise to make it more "user-friendly". Overall dimensions are slightly fuller than normal plus a little extra thickness and some nose kick to compensate for the late take-offs that sometimes plague beginners. The single-fin set-up with the 10" TA Farberow Flex is a forgiving fin, providing good stability at slow speeds, but responding well when pushed. The aesthetics of this board are classic "longboard" with triple 1/8" cedar stringers, airspray rails and red pinlines. And a tailblock (of course!)
Dimensions: 10'0" 18-1/2" x 23-1/4" x 14-1/2" 3-3/8"

I build and shape all of my own tailblocks. No two are exactly alike.

Most glass shops will run the pinstripe over  the stringer(s) because its easier, less work. Ray and I think it just looks better if the stringers are taped-off, so we take the time to do it that way. Sure its more work and most people wouldn't even notice this little detail...but we do.

Summer rush has died down, wait-time for new boards is down to just over three weeks.  Order your new board now!