Finally finished...

Customer Kirt and some dude pose with his new stick

This is a true custom. It combines a modern longboard outline with some old school influences. Rails are eggy but not pinched until the last 12" where there's a firm tuck for water release. There's a shallow blended nose concave with rolled-panel V in tail. Dimensions are 18-1/2" x 22-3/4 x 15" 3" thick.

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.

Nueva Huevo...

I'm really excted about this new egg. Just picked it up today from the shop.

It's 7'11"  17" x 23" x 15-1/2" x 2-7/8", EPS/Epoxy 3 layers orf 4-oz S-Glass deck and 2 layers 4-oz S-Glass bottom. Sanded gloss coat finish with red and blue pinline.

 This is a 5-fin, convertible board and I'll be using the T.Patterson template with 80/20 foil on rear fins when going quad and the CI template when going tri. Both fin sets are FCS-based from True Ames Fins.

Full outline and low rocker should make wave-catching easy. Bottom features single-to-double concaves with some "V" out the tail for speedy carves and smooth cutbacks.

Kirt's Kingfish...

Another colorful addition to Kirt's quiver. This one is an 8-0 King Fish with the optional five-fin setup, allowing him to ride the board as a thruster, a quad, or as a twin with trailer. This board is an EPS/Epoxy shape, with all glassing and color work done by Ray Lucke. Each color block has its own black pinline, in case you're wondering.

Ray and Kirt

Check-out the five fin setup

I added a bump-wing to the tail of this long fish design to keep it from locking up in the turns. Bottom features low rocker throughout, with shallow single-todouble concaves.

Spring is here, and time to start thinking about that new summer board. Smaller surf means more planing area and more volume. Lots of possiblities...lets talk

6-8HYB2+1 for Chad....

Chad had some specific ideas about what he wanted in a surfboard, so I invited him down to the shop, and we collaborated on this neat little hybrid design. For starters, Chad wanted a full-outline design in a short (but not too short) length. He wanted a board with a pretty wide wave-range, but one that he could duck-dive.




Working together with the Aku Shaper software, we came up with this functional little, 2+1 diamond tail hybrid.

Dims are 6'8" 14-3/4" x 21-3/4 x 15-1/2"  2-5/8" thick. Bottom has relaxed entry rocker with single-to-double concaves, and a little "V" out the tail. The board can be surfed as a signle-fin, 2+1 or thruster depending upon mood and conditions. Chad chose to start with an 8-1/2" Frye Flex fin.

Board was finished with "Mercedes Blue" resin tint, orange resin stripe and white pinline. Sanded gloss-coat for matte finish. Glasswork done by Ray Lucke.

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...

New SUP...finally

This is my first SUP. The design was a cooperative effort between Ray Lucke and me. Having glassed a large number of SUPs, including limited-class racing SUPs, Ray has a good eye for what works. Using Aku Shaper, the designed shape's file was sent to Marko Foam who machined the 1.7lb EPS blank. After receiving the blank from Marko, I made some adjustments in the thickness of the nose and tail, and added the wings to the tail to get tail-width down to 17". Dimensions are: 10-0 20-1/2" x 32" x 17"  4-1/4".  I wanted an SUP that would offer good paddling for flat-water touring, but would still be spunky enough to surf.

Board was air-sprayed light yellow, and glassing schedule was 6-oz E-glass + 6-oz E-glass deck and 6-oz E-glass bottom. Red pin line and gloss & polish finish completed things. After glassing, the dual leash cups, one-way air vent and deck pad were installed. Fin set-up is 2+1, with FCS Fusion side-bite boxes. I plan to start off with a 9.5" True Ames Faberow Flex fin, and will switch to the 7.5" TA Wayne Rich Power fin with TA Side-bites after I get a little more comfortable surfing the board.

Already I'm very impressed with the lightness (26lb) of this board despite its huge size. You'll definitely see me building some EPS/Epoxy longboards in the near future.

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.

Just add waves....

 ...preferably shoulder-high or bigger. Here's the new 7-6 HYB4/3 fresh from the factory.

This is a great board for "mature" surfers (you know who you are...) who need a little more float than the 6-6 "Big Boy" thruster gathering dust in the garage, or for the longboarder wanting to sample a little more speed and responsiveness in his/her surfing.
The HYB4/3 shapes feature a full outline with a 15-1/2" wide tail. The full outline is combined with a tightly-tucked 60/40 rail and a single concave bottom with "V" in the last 12". The double-wings help to pull in the tail in the last 12" and work with the "V" to keep turning loose and smooth.

The 4/3 or "5-fin" set-up allows the rider to choose either tri- or quad-fin performance. I like the TA Channel Islands Hexcore fins in front and TA LB Side Bites in the rear on my quad set-ups. The CI template is designed for riders over 180lbs, and offer incredible hold and drive. What I like about the 5-fin set-up is that it offers the rider a wide range of fin configurations, and with FCS plugs there is a huge inventory of fin templates available.

Give me a call or drop me an email if you see an HYB4/3 in your future and want to talk about it. Pricing for the HYB4/3 starts at $465 with quad composite/molded fins included.

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!

Coming soon to a break in VC...

Took a break in the busy summer season action to build a 7-6HYB4/3 "shop demo" . Here it is shaped, with fin boxes inserted and ready for glassing.

The HYB4/3 is a mid-sized hybrid shape with a single-concave bottom and "V" out the tail. Dimensions are
7-6 13-1/4"x21-3/4"x15" 2-7/8". The double-wing, round-pin tail helps to pull in the wide 15" tail and lends itself to easy turns and smooth cutbacks.

The 4/3 or "5-fin" configuration adds maximum versatility. The board can be surfed as a tri-fin or a quad, depending upon rider preference. I like to use FCS Fusion plugs because there is a wide selection of FCS-based fins to choose from, and the cant of the fins can be set differently.

There is also a 7-8 tri-fin, swallow-tail version of this board at the shop, but it going to a Westlake, CA surfer upon completion.

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!

Another "mini"...

Surfers everywhere are moving away from conventional shapes in an effort to enhance and expand their surfing experience. Some shapes are completely new while others are size-variations of more traditional shapes, e.g. "big fish", "mini-longboard", etc. Here's a prime example of the latter.
The owner of this new board would normally ride a 9-6 to 10-0 LB based upon his size and experience. But he has begun to discover the fun to be had in sub-9' shapes. He wanted to try a classic noserider outline in shorter length, complemented by the old-school aesthetic of resin tint, pinline and multiple-stringers.
Dimensions: 8-6 18-1/2" x 22-1/2" x 15-5/8  3".

TP Gromster

This little nugget is going to Grandson #2. Its 5-2 x 18-1/2 x 2-1/4". I kept the outline full and the widepoint behind center since this is where he'll be paddling and standingThe board is outfitted with ProTek fins, which have a composite core with soft-rubber edges. Lucke's air spray and pinline work really pop on this little stick.