drift, perspectives in surfing

In this latest instalment, the riddle of the Tuna’s phenomenal speed is revealed and we return to foam…

 
Jeff Beck at Nine Light surfboards brought by his latest surfboard design using epoxy composite construction to build a unique design extension of the Alaia for those that want to experience the Alaia ride with a little more float.
These composite foam and wood alaias let you have the amazing trim and speed that alaias get [...]

The Spanish and French sections of our European tour are coming to an end… Matt and I have made a lot of boards and a lot of friends. I can say one thing for people who want to learn to shape surfboards: you really learn fast when working in front of a crowd of people! Your senses are are totally one and focused – I don’t mind shaping in horrid light conditions, because I shape by feel more than sight.

Late nights! The Spanish do not sleep much. The first night of the festival the BBQ started at 10pm and the movies followed running into to the next morning.

One of the most amazing bonuses of making these boards is that I get to meet (sometimes virtually, over email) the most incredible people, each of them stoked on life and the rush they get from surfing.

I have made it to Bilbao, Spain. The crew here is great! I came to spread the word of alaia surfing and paulownia wood, but my good friend Salvador Artaza has beat me to it (see http://alaia-surf.blogspot.com).

Jon Wegener and Cyrus Sutton will be conducting a day of Alaia-shaping classes at Patagonia Cardiff on August 8. Space is limited so claim your spot soon.

Here are two boards that fascinate me.

I have had a pretty good run for the last few years as a surfboard maker. Plenty of great customers have kept me busy and, because my overheads are very low, I have had the freedom to experiment. I have stumbled upon such innovations as using paulownia wood to build boards and new glues for putting surfboards together. I even made a line of hollow paulownia surfboards, from fish to 18 footers.

28th March, 2009: today was the greatest day a surfboard maker could imagine. Well, the greatest I could imagine anyway…

I made the ritual Saturday pancakes and had a long nap. Then the kids took off with Marg to a school fund-raising function just as Matt, Christian, Cameron and George bowled up the driveway with a carton of beer. They had come to make alaias.

La La is the ancient Hawaiian word for alaia surfing. It is about sliding across the wave and then breaking trim into a sideslip or a cut back. Jacob Stuth and I pondered the meaning of the word when we began our journey with rediscovering the alaia. As we progressed with the boards, the meaning of the word became clear.