The Alley Fish Fry

Aloha Simmons by Sean Wilde

2012-01-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

What's 5'2" with green skin and a big fat arse?
Aloha team rider, Cam Gray's new flying carpet, that's what!
We just picked up Cam's new Aloha board from the factory and it looks like way too much fun.
It's 5'2" x 22" x 3" of section linking, foam climbing sickness. With super speed flat rocker, 'S' deck foam distribution, single into double concave under your front foot and rolled V out the back, you'll be steppin' off onto the sand every time.

The Snowboard / Fish cross

2012-01-20T23:29:00.001-08:00

Do it yourself...

2012-01-20T01:10:00.000-08:00

I met Blake Norrish at the Alley the other morning. He was heading out for a surf with his dad. Got talking to him about the board he had with him and it turned out he had built it himself.

After the surf he was on the plane back to Melbourne again for the year. But he promised to send these pics here to share. So good to see guys having a go and doing it themselves. It is such a rewarding experience and the connection you then have with your surfing is very special. And I am sure it will not be your last.

" I outlined the shape after drawing on the ideas of Bob Simmons, Ado from Rake and Tyler Warren's bars of soap but kept the nose pretty square just to experiment. Hull entry to flat to single between the fins. Hand foiled marine ply keels."


" Prayer flag inlays on the bottom and a few laminates on the deck including an artwork by Michael Hsiung with alfoil beneath. The teeth are my crazy obsession, currently studying with a goal of becoming an orthodontist. Dimensions and a sexual innuendo on the stringer and she was done. So far has performed well with a few sessions at Snapper, the Pass and the Alley. The whole experience has been so great to learn all that is involved in making a surfboard and I feel I can only improve from my mistakes and am keen to get back in the shed and craft some more. Currently sussing out using a decent bay to create some more dust. Cheers and all the best for the Fish Fry, I only wish Vic wasn't so far away! "

Tyler Warren , always good inspiration

2012-01-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

Tyler Warren - All Yew from www.KORDUROY.tv on Vimeo.

The 9ft " Pelican Glider "

2012-01-16T01:52:00.000-08:00

John Cherry's younger brother Frank with his new Pelican Glider - the name given by John to his Simm-21 model when they are over 8 foot long.

Great looking hand foiled wooden fins by John of course

Pretty happy looking bro I would say and why not.

" It has a low, relaxed rocker, with very subtle single-into-double concave. He has a 7-0 and and 8-0 simm-21 as well."

Frank rode it Tuesday and Wednesday up at Rincon with a solid 6-8ft swell running. He got all the waves he wanted, some of which were 300-400 yards long! He says it really hauls ass down the line

" I tried to talk him out of “shark lure” black as the color. But he wouldn’t hear of it. Rincon is right in the middle of “the red triangle” in the winter months. I guess the great whites weren’t biting (busy breeding and feeding on seals) those days. A good thing."

Short and funky

2012-01-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

The boys in Sydney are vamping it up with these little numbers. Sean Wilde and Mark Gnech have quite a following with these wee craft. Check them out at :http://gnechsurfboards.blogspot.com
and : http://vampiratesurfboards.tumblr.com

Single fins at Burleigh

2012-01-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

The 15th Annual Burleigh Single Fin Classic was run last weekend and it is great to see what modern surf style and old boards can do.

15th Annual Single Fin Festival Burleigh Heads from Billabong on Vimeo.

The Fish Fry in POC magazine

2012-01-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

This is a piece written by Shannon Denny in the UK about the Fish and the Fish Fry. If you would like to check it out : POC

Single to double

2012-01-11T01:06:00.000-08:00

Sweet little board from Bernardo Sodrefrom Brazil - 5'10'' X 20" X 2 1/12". To checkmout what else he is up to : umbeskate.blogspot.com

Pretty to watch

2012-01-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

Intuition from Ryan Lovelace on Vimeo.

A nice selection of Kiwi Simmons

2012-01-07T18:26:00.000-08:00

Noe Bridler from New Zealand sent me these great looking simmons that he has been building for himself and customers.
" I thought I'd share some of my backyard creations, noticed you said there's not many mini simmonesque boards over this side of the ditch well that's true. So I focused mainly on them with the images, been shaping a few short ones for myself and then some mid size ones for customers. I do wooden tail blocks and linen deck inlays etc focusing on a handmade one off custom board.
Anyway cheers for a great blog and happy new year! "
Noe

Check out his other boards at : http://noesurfcraft.blogspot.com

The Gold Coast, yes it gets crowded but we sure get some fun swells.

2012-01-05T16:10:00.000-08:00

We have had a great run of swell and Noosa and Byron didn't miss out as well. But it has hung in here much longer with some great banks , 25c water and crystal clear to boot.

You have to love what this guy does...

2012-01-05T02:15:00.000-08:00

The Waxa Chip

2012-01-05T01:37:00.000-08:00

I just love the antique , rustic glass job. It really siuts these boards

These are Waxa Surfboards new Chip model, which is Scott Robinson's take on the mini simmons. Each of these boards has been completely hand made by Scott including the fins. Pictured is a 4'10 , 5'2 , 5'0.
Scott embodies exactly what the Fish Fry is about. Someone applying art , design and craft to build great looking boards by hand. Old school with a modern twist just how we like it. Can only hope he makes it to this years Fish Fry.

If you would like to see more of Scotts great boards and old school logs , you can check him out at :
waxasurfboards.blogspot.com

Kiwi Simmons

2012-01-04T02:19:00.000-08:00

There aren't many simmons of any shape or size in "the land of the long black raincoat" New Zealand,
but here is a fine example by Roger hall of Surfline Surfboards in the North Island.

"Hot out of the factory and in to the showroom racks today, Mini Simmons, 5'4'' x 20-1/2'' x 2-5/8'', Such a sick little board, Resintint bottom and rails, Pinlined with a customized Surfline logo, LokBox finboxes with LokBox Pavel twin keels."

www.surfline.co.nz

Burleigh single fin contest this weekend

2012-01-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

Burleigh Heads, Queensland Australia
6 - 8 January 2012
Once again surfboards from before 1982 are being dusted pulled out of the garage and made ready for competition for the 2012 Burleigh Boardriders Single Fin Classic presented by Billabong.
Competitors in previous years include: – Mick Fanning, Occy, Luke Egan, Dave Rastovich, Cheyne Horan, Gary Elkerton, Bede Durbidge, Jay “Bottle” Thompson, Jockey Damien Oliver, and Rugby League legend, Andrew Johns just to name a few.

This year Occy, and Luke Egan will don the singlet again, but will have a troop of up and coming champions giving them a great run for their money for the Single Fin Classic Title. 2011 Champion, Clint Kimmins will be defending his title, and is keen to make it 2 in a row. Here are some of Clint’s thoughts on the event-

“The single fin is one of those events that you just really want to win. The contest isn’t about the money or the prizes- it’s about trying to surf well in front of your mates. I respect all the old boys out at the point and to surf on the boards that they use to ride back in the day is not only fun but also a great challenge.

Burleigh is a place that I’ve grown up surfing; I feel I know the waves really well so I’m hoping for a repeat performance of last years win. There’s always a great vibe on the point and the event pulls a good crowd. Everyone is hooting and cheering and it just feels good when you pull the heat jersey on. It’s an honor to be able to surf the point in a contest on a single fin. “

One of Clint’s good mates, Noah Lane, was runner-up in last year’s event, and is keen to grab a win in 2012. Noah is a Burleigh Boardrider, and has been competing in the event since he was 10 years of age. Noah’s Dad, Justin was a member of Burleigh Boardriders, and Noah is the local crowd favourite. His dynamic backhand style has earned him a wildcard to the Breaka pro for Burleigh Boardriders, and will definitely one to watch. Other Burleigh Boardriders to keep an eye on will be young guns Josh Hyland, his brother and former winner, Tim Hyland. Another former winner to keep an eye on will be ASP Australasian Pro Junior Champion of 2011, Thomas Woods, Woodsy won the contest in 2010, at only 17 years of age.

The Burleigh Boardriders Single Fin Classic, presented by Billabong, is to be held Saturday and Sunday, the 7th and 8th of January 2012. Limited entries are available, entry forms can be found at burleighboardriders.com.au , competition commences 8am both days.

The Burleigh Boardriders Charity Luncheon will be held at Burleigh Bears Leagues Club, from 12pm on Friday 6th of January 2012. Tickets are $100, which includes food, refreshment, and entertainment. To purchase tickets contact Burleigh Boardrdiers Treasurer, Andrea Ford, on 0755354349, or andrea @ fjpcs.com.au.

Happy New Year

2011-12-30T23:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you all for supporting me with the Fish Fry. Lets hope the year ahead is a little better than what we have endured this year. Fish Fry six next year, how time flies. I hope you and all your families have a great year ahead.

The Brazilian Simmons

2011-12-27T09:18:00.000-08:00

These two boards are built by Bernardo Sodré from Brazil. Red: 5´3'' X 21'' X 2 3/4'' Yellow: 5'5'' X 21'' X 2 3/4" , both with S-deck and Paulownia wood fins.

Check out his other projects at : umbeskate.blogspot.com

Wild old day at the Alley , Christmas Day Cyclone swell

2011-12-24T23:23:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of you who have supported me this year. There have been some great boards built and many guys experimenting and trying new things. Looking forward to what you come up with next year.

Have a safe and happy time with family and friends where ever you are.

Grant

Tristan, the little Frenchman

2011-12-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

Tristan Mausse is a very talented and very busy little guy. He is the artist who created this years illustration for the Fish Fry. He is also a fantastic glasser and polisher , who travels the globe plying his trade. On the way he is documenting his travels and producing a film of the glassers and some of the unsung heros who help create those wonderful boards we all admire. I first bumped into him in Byron a couple of years ago as he came in to introduce himself to Evan at North Coast Surfboards looking for work. He later did a stint at Classic Malibu in Noosa and then moved back to France to work with good friend and fellow artist Paul Lefevre. He is soon off to California to work at Lost Surfboards.
Here he is working on the Fish Fry art. Thanks Mate.

I first knew of Tristan with his very popular blog Mini Simmons Religion which was a great window to what was happening with the simmons in the very early days. He has a number of blogs to his name
* www.glass-sandingjob.blogspot.com
* www.nopainindream.tumblr.com
* www.glasslove-artwork.blogspot.com
* www.powersludge.com

" Hey, this is a trailer of my film documentary as i'm doing right now! It's a trailer with the Australian part only, because I'm actually doing this film, so my travel / film is not finished yet.

Next week I leave Australia, for go film in California, and after Canada, Nicaragua, Costa Rica."

SACRE BLEU is a documentary film of 1hour 30min, which calls the best glassers / shapers / artists / photographers around the world to tell their story, it is also a travelogue, which traces the 8 months of my experience going through the world to work myself in all these workshops surfboards, since I am myself Glasser. Starting with Australia and California, Canada, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and the film not just talking about "glassing" because it incorporates many different images lyfestyle, surfing (many images aquatic ), skate, music and landscape. The soundtrack is composed entirely of small independent artists, who explore the roads of the "post-rock", "instrumental hip-hop", "punk-hardcore" or "folk"
I am currently filming the movie, the release is not expected before summer 2012."

SACRE BLEU Trailer, Séquence Australie from No pain in Dream on Vimeo.

Having fun...

2011-12-12T03:30:00.000-08:00

Rhythm x Board Culture // Pasted from Rhythm Livin on Vimeo.

That home built enthusiasm is great...

2011-12-10T23:13:00.000-08:00

Keith Nevelee ," Tiki " to his mates is a keen back yard shaper who loves to build boards for himself and his mates. I first met him at this years Wooden Board day.

" Had these two to make and, as you might know I still work fulltime and do boards after work, so , production for me is 6 a year, they are both quads the shooter is 6' 3 and the Pocket rocket is 5'1x 201/2". The 5' is for my eldest son who is a shortboarder of a young 40 years of age , his feedback has been great with the board excelling better than the last one I made him which was 4'9 x 22" and was a twinny, I hope to make it to the fish fry next year but I'll have a few hurdles to get over to make it but, I will try. "

Not sure what is with the nose horn here Tiki ?

" I am making 2 boards that are very similar , they are both longboards 9'6" and 9'8' but are reverse templates off Roy's Velzy Jacobs Balsa one is a pintail the other a squaretail...."

" Hope everything is good up your way and until next Cheers and Aloha "

Tiki

Where it all started...

2011-12-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

I just love the look of hand foiled ply fins and resin tint fishes. To me a classic look that evokes the art and romance that made the fish the board of choice to bring us all together in the beginning of the Fish Fry. This interest and experimentation has been the driver for the great wave of innovative shapers to keep the ball rolling and apply their skills and passion onto other shapes. And this is what you will see at the next Fish Fry on Sunday the 4th of March 2012.

The other great thing is that there are so many guys out there having a go at shaping a board themselves and experiencing the thrill of surfing something they made themselves. There may be mixed results , but don't judge till you have had a go yourself.

So if you are one of these experimenters , the invitation to share the passion goes out to you to bring whatever you have built along.

George Greenough

2011-11-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

This blue surfboard was the first standup surfboard George Greenough made for himself, 1957, while he was still at high school and not yet a dedicated kneeboarder. He rode it as a stand up surfboard in small surf and said it went really well in small waves up to about shoulder high. George cut it in half to make it LONGER because he got too heavy to knee paddle it.

1959 saw the creation of his first kneeboard, made of balsa, then also painted baby blue.

Looking at this first blue surfboard with the pulled in tail, it looks really functional, like all of Greenoughs designs. This blue surfboard was almost a decade before the so called shortboard revolution of 1966 1967. By the time of 1966 George was on a lightweight fibreglass spoon and getting deep in tubes.

Great pictures and words thanks to Andrew Crockett from his Hodaddy Newsletter

www.switch-foot.com

Single fin action

2011-11-30T02:35:00.000-08:00

Alex Knost: Single Fins from Taylor Bonin on Vimeo.

The Alley as we wish it was

2011-11-28T01:35:00.000-08:00

It would be nice to have swell and some south or west in the wind. We are over the hot northerlies.

Some serious slab surfing Irish style

2011-11-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

We were in Ireland in June this year for a wedding and it is a cold and harsh place to surf, for the brave and hardy with the right gear and attitude.But great waves as you will see.

Nacho's Gold Coast Simmons

2011-11-21T13:28:00.001-08:00

Nacho Agote from Spain has arrived on the Gold Coast with his girlfriend Peti and they needed some boards. Now was the best time to shape some new boards as we have had 2 + weeks of warm Northerlies and no surf to speak of. So I took Nacho to Burfords and he selected his blanks and headed straight to DMS to get shaping.

The Spanish Simmons , Queensland style.

Nacho was pleased with the outcome and can't wait for some waves. He is here for 3 months and is keen to have a look at what the surf industry is like down here. He works by himself and hand shapes and finishes over 100 a boards a year back home.

Italian Surf Culture is well and truely alive

2011-11-18T11:35:00.001-08:00

Good friend Marco Miazzini in Pietrasanta Italy was lucky enough to have a great single fin surf festival on his local beach last month. The guys have been given a nice slice of land right on the beach between all the exclusive beach clubs and have built a club house , surf school / surfers drop in that was the hub for the festival.

Local shaper Michele Puliti put on a shaping demo and others shaped alaias.

Marco came out to last years Fish Fry here and then helped organise one at this same location when he got home from 3 months enjoying the Byron Bay Gold Coast waves.The local boys are very passionate about their surfing and boards.We had a great time there in June although the surf is not very consistent.

Jelle's simmons

2011-11-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

It's 5'3" x 20.5" and made from XPS and epoxy. No stringer. Pretty light.

Nice looking board that should fly down the line and hang on for grim death with those fins

He is looking forward to the ride.

Tints and colour

2011-11-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

A blaze of colour from Thomas surfboards on the Sunshine Coast.

He is also known for great shapes of course

Jason 'Salsa' Salisbury and The " Bat Tail Simmons " from Deus Bali

A mixed bag from Thomas Bexon, glassed by Jake Bowrey

www.thomassurfboards.com

Let's go surfing

2011-11-13T01:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Ho Let's Go Surfing is a salty surfing adventure, featuring the slipperyisms of Sage Joske, Brett Caller & Jake Bevan, brought to you by the good folk at The Critical Slide Society.

The "Fish Finger" from More Surfboards

2011-11-07T12:07:00.001-08:00

" Here's my latest version of a design I call "The Fish-Finger". Dims are 5'10" x 20" x 2 3/4" . It can be ridden finless, or with multiple options with the long and low keels that we are calling 'training keels' . These keels are reversable depending on how much or how little hold you want. They are a great board for those guys who struggle with going totally finless coz they give you alot of the same feelings and freedom to spin, slide and drift but with just enough hold for some down the line projection ....super FUN and the biggest problem is they make a standard board seem quite dull afterwards.... "

Mark Pridmore of More Surfboards from the Sunshine Coast

" The Art of Surfing" exhibition

2011-10-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Gold Coast Surf Museum currently has a great collection of art on surfboards on display from all sorts of shapers and artists. So if you would like to check them out the museum is in Tomewin Street opposite the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctaury.

" This surfboard is exhibited by the Surf world museum now. It is the special surfboard work in collaboration with Dick Van Straalen. I would like to inherit his soul and spirit."

Shoji Muto

The Mini Sea Creature

2011-10-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

Roger Hall in New Zealand is ever the innovator and his own man when it comes to creating interesting boards. This is his latest the 5ft 7" x 23" x 3 3/8" moni version of his Sea Creature.

It has a lot going on but never the less a great board performance wise. I saw Roger ride one at the Pass down at Byron after this years fish fry and he was all over it.

Roger loves wood and couldn't resist adding some detail to the stringer of this one. The added weight will give it the momentum he is used to in his woooden boards. Thanks to Mike Cunningham for the pics.

Check out what Roger is up to at : www.surfline.co.nz or www.fishnlog.blogspot.com

4ft 2" Shovel Head Simmons

2011-10-27T20:24:00.001-07:00

My latest Simmons 4ft 2" x 22 1/2" x 3"

Pretty simple really hull to flat under front foot and 5mm of concave out through the tail

Just love fresh cut foam ready to finish

A lot happens on the rail line over a very short distance. Plus I like to keep the S deck and it is a great way to keep the thickness out of the nose.It is pretty chunky in the tail to keep some float in it. Rasta Keels will finish it off nicely.

3ft 11" Simmons

2011-10-24T12:28:00.001-07:00

I caught up with Gold Coast small board lover, Shoji Muto at Byron Bay on the weekend. He was riding his new creation. 3ft 11" Body board inspired outline rails and rocker , with the Dick Van tail flutes. He has it all going on. He was having fun in the small onshore day at Watagos.

Weekend in Byron

2011-10-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

Jackie and I headed to Byron for the weekend for the first Byron Bay Surf Festival. Friday night it kicked off at Stone and Wood Brewery with Bob McTavish giving a great intro and some early insight into the history of Byron before officially declaring the festival open. Great beer, wood fired pizza and tunes.

Saturday we checked out some of the art at Retrospect gallery , music in the park , old boards and history from the guys that came down from the Gold Coast Surf Museum. Brian, Mal, and Jack at the Community Centre , followed by Andy from Grown surfboards giving a talk on wooden boards. Caught up with Tim Baker talking about his just released book Surfari and his trip round Australia. Plenty of people everywhere and great weather. Then went back to the Community Centre to here Andrew Kidman and his band play to a movie showing behind then in the main auditorium. Great day and night of things to see and do. The surf was not grea but the water was nice.

Sunday morning I got to the beach early to help Tom Wegener and son Finley set up on the sand at Watagos. Great day and a little swell.

Vanessa and her team all set up for a big day.

Sage Joske as always had a great show of his skills and boards

The local Byron Bay Malibu Club were kept busy all day with supplying the food and drinks

Simon Jones and his Morning of the Earth boards.

Thomas Bexon had a great show of colour and a large range of boards.

Eden Saul with one of his little Mini Simmons which he rode will in very small surf.

More of Thomas's boards

There were even a couple of mermaids there enjoying the day. It was Byron after all.

Eden on his little simmons ...

These kids were having a great day

Tom and a couple of hollow wood , unglassed boards. The future.

The line up for the fishy expression session judged by the public.

Thomas Bexton

Matty Yates

Ryan Haywood found a little zipper

Two Toms

Single Tom

Great day

The Finless crew included Danny Wills ,unknown , Brett Caller and Tom

This guy sure knew how to ride an alaia, he was good.

Brett managed to make something out of a very small and tricky wave on his alaia

All in all a great weekend with lots of similar people who come to the Fish Fry for the same reason. To get together and have fun. The Byron Festival had lots of things for everyone and I am sure it will be a very successful, long lived yearly event. Nice job guys.

When things get small

2011-10-18T11:13:00.001-07:00

Hey Grant, saw the recent belly board creation on the blog mate and I did something similar recently. It was a ton of fun shaping it and the customer is totally stoked, I've seen him in the waves a few times and he is smiling like a grom learning to surf all over again ....My recent shaping of mini's and semi-finless boards came into play when designing and shaping this one, its great when people take their ideas to a shaper and make them a reality....,

The " Turtle " nice ...

Mark Pridmore from More Surfboards on the Sunshine Coast , getting small and getting funky. Great to see guys experimenting. Great to have ideas , even better to do something with them.

Byron Bay Surf Festival this weekend

2011-10-16T12:18:00.001-07:00

All things surf related this weekend in Byron Bay. Music , art , demos , films , surfing , board swap , markets and all that is Byron as well. It opens on Friday night with Bob Mc Tavish at Stone and Wood brewery . Check it out , should be a fun weekend and a great addition to the calendar. Another non competitive surfing get together we should support.

www.byronbaysurffestival.com

The Mini Mini Simmons with a Spanish twist

2011-10-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Start with a classic blank of course...

Inspired by a body board for sure

Add some fins

4ft x 22 1/2" x 2 5/8"

The board was built by Nacho Agote Surfboards in Los Palmas. Sent to me by Jose from the Canary Islands.

More shots from the UK Fish Fry the other week.

2011-10-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

European Fish Fry 2011 @ Crackington Haven

Thanks to Marco and the Italian connection from Single Fin Italy

The Lis Fish

2011-10-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

Josh Punch testing the 5ft Simmons in Bali

2011-10-04T01:26:00.001-07:00

Josh is 90kg (200lb) on this 5ft x 22 1/2" Simmons I shaped him. Rasta Keels. He loves this board and this was all he surfed for 3 weeks in Bali. You have to try one this summer.See your shaper.Nice to see someone having fun on a board you have built.

Sacred Craft this weekend

2011-10-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

If you are in California this weekend you should head on down to " Sacred Craft " in Del Mar.

Over 150 booths makes Sacred Craft largest surfboard expo; Windansea icon Carl Ekstrom to be honored; schedule of events set for October 8 & 9.

Sacred Craft brings together surfboard lovers in what has become the surfboard industry gathering. Passion for surfboards and the authentic culture that flows forth never goes out of style.

The SACRED CRAFT Consumer Surfboard Expo provides an opportunity for shapers, surfboard craftsman and surfboard manufacturers to come together under one roof and share their passion with the surfboard loving public. It operates with one objective, to unite passionate surfers with the surfboard industry.

WHO: Surfers, shapers, and surfboard manufacturers

WHAT: Two days of surfboard heaven

WHEN: October 8 & 9, 2011

WHERE: Del Mar Fairgrounds

WHY: Because surfers care about two things: waves and the equipment to ride them with

HOW: $10 at the door; kids 12 & under free / Free Subscription to SURFER magazine

Dane's " Sperm Whale "

2011-10-01T16:09:00.001-07:00

A modern take on the Simmons hand shaped by Dane Reynolds. Great to see someone of his calibre experimenting and shaping his own boards.

The 5ft 4" "Velo" Simmons

2011-09-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

This is a little demo experiment that I have been toying with for a while - 5ft 4" x 23" x 2 1/2" I did a fish with this bottom a while ago and thought it well suited to this outline.

Velo bottom inspired by Greenough spoon

I still have the hull entry but with a full length concave nose to tail. The edge tapers to the tail and blends in to a slight chine out through the tail.

Concave deck as well

Futures " Rasta Keels" to hang on and do the job

surfboardsbygrantnewby.blogspot.com

UK Fish Fry report

2011-09-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Rob Royal who put the Fish Fry together this year at Crackington.

Crackington central

Check out the festivities via Marco Mazzini's blog report :
whataniceride.blogspot.com/2011/09/european-fish-fry-2011-17th-sept.html

Marco was out here for last years Alley Fish Fry and I stayed with him in Italy this June. Great guy and a great surfer. He and good friend and shaper Michele Puliti of Ola Surfboards have a loyal group of surfers at there local beach at Pietrasanta. They both traveled to the UK Fish Fry as well. Thanks guys for keeping the ball rolling.

New " Velo" Simmons on the way

2011-09-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

This is a fish I did early last year that has been an idea of mine for a while and just had to see how it would come out and perform.

And this is a Simmons that I have built quite a few of this year.

I have been playing with this idea for quite some time and it seems to be a great fit with the shovel nose Simmons I have been making of late.

I was inspired by the Greenough spoon and a couple of " Wilderness " boards I have seen.

Concave " S " deck and fine rails through the tail

Should be fun. Just wish I was a lot smaller guy to give it a run myself. 5ft 4" x 23" x 2 1/2" with Rasta Keels from Futures

Brad Kelley's quiver

2011-09-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Brad hales from Los Angeles and has been experimenting with a few shapes of his own that he would like to share.

" A yellow 4'10" mini-simmons with a spoon nose, a 5'10" double wing quad swallow-tail fish with a double stringer, a 6'0" single wing quad dove-tail fish, and a 6'0" regular foot asym-tail."

A pretty nice selection to have some fun waves on for sure. Mixing it up and feeling out these different boards is a great experience. Thanks mate for the pics.

2011-09-23T11:10:00.001-07:00

A little Simmons action in Cornwall yesterday

2011-09-22T11:01:00.001-07:00

4 ft 10" of fun

Nathan Tummon taking his little snub nose Simmons for a local blast.

" Here are a few pics from my surf this morning which I have literally just got back from! its just a beachy next to where I live in Cornwall called Harlyn Bay......its a fun wave, bit of a close out at low tide but can get really fun."

Looks like a fun morning and a great way to start the day for anyone.
http://ntsurfboards.blogspot.com

The " Dumpling " is evolving

2011-09-22T01:43:00.000-07:00

" This is a Dumpling which is one of my designs, its evolving alot lately from its original form which was basically a big mini-simmons with a quad fin set up and some tweaked bottom contours but recently I have been looking for more performance and making some super fun variations...this one is 5'5" x 20 1/2" x 2 3/4", it'll be a quad and I'm glassing it super light for maximum liveliness and resposnsiveness in the small stuff. I have been playing with some different rails in the tail of a few boards recently too, looking for MORE realease so I have been doing them with hard, sharp and bevelled angles and they have been going good, less hold but more release, just playing with different stuff to get em going as good as I can..."

Great to see guys experimenting and being inspired by things from the past. We are living and surfing in great times. Just need some waves this week.

Mini Simmons for the UK Fish Fry

2011-09-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Nathan Tummon just sent these shots of a couple of his boards that he took to the UK Fish Fry last weekend.
"Hey here are couple of recent Mini Simmons ive been playing with the one above ^ is a 4'10 x 20 x 2 stub nose and also a 5' x 20 x 2 1/4 swallow tail Simmons "

Check out his other boards : www.ntsurfboards.blogspot.com

I believe the boys had a good turn out but got rained out and had to move inside. Got to love the English weather.

Dick's new toy

2011-09-20T02:51:00.000-07:00

Dick Van Straalen is not a young man and he loves his surfing , so is always experimenting with new boards and ways of enjoying the waves. Here is his latest creation a 5ft belly board. Kind of Simmonish and kind of small, but fun.Nice one Dick.

A new season for Rake

2011-09-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

New season stringerless Trash Can 5' x 21 1/2" x 2 3/4" - light strong and double foiled fins

Gearing up for summer as it is nearly here.

A bit of road testing in Bali on the 5'0 Cookie

The Trash Can Simmons with new rocker , new refined foil, new fins . narrower outline , Arctaill, new logos . Shaped by Adrian Knott 5'0 x 21 1/2" x 2 3/8".

Adrian Knott from Rake has been busy with new models for this summer and created a new line up of his great little craft.Look forward to seeing them out and about.

Ryan speaks his mind and puts it out there.

2011-09-18T00:36:00.000-07:00

Ryan Lovelace from Santa Barbara who was at this years Fish Fry has just posted the following comments. I must say that I support him all the way. Hand shaping a board from scratch is an art that is rear these days. Finishing a CNC shaped board is a skill for sure , but light years apart and to say you hand shape boards and you don't is not on.

It seems trivial to a lot of people, and to others it's a pretty hot topic; but either way, the term hand shaped is being bastardized pretty hard at the moment. The following isn't a rant, just a humble observation on some wordage and some pretty blatant lies being told.

The term hand shaped, for years, has referred to a board that was whittled down by a planer, sandpaper and whatever other hand-held tools the shaper liked; chunks of foam flying, tight lines and experienced eyes laying down the cuts that make up our favorite boards. Not a CNC shaped board, that was then 'hand finished'. Finished and shaped are two very, very different words.

There seems to be a rash of shapers marketing "Hand Shapes" that when you do a little looking into, are most definitely not hand shaped. I'm not sure what the thought process is behind calling a machine shaped board anything else, but taking some router bumps down with a sanding block doesn't warrant the use of the term hand shaped. I'm sorry, but customers are being lied to daily and thousands of people are walking around with CNC shaped boards sporting the term hand shaped.

Let me digress for a second.

Machine shaped boards are fine, they surf, and they look nice like any other surfboard, they get glassed and have pretty colors.

What it comes down to though, for me, is creating a belief around your product through marketing and the terms that are used, and then selling something else. Thats telling a lie, just like our mommy's told us not to. I don't frown upon machine shaped boards too heavily, just the lack of distinction and honesty behind them.

Heck. If I was making machine shaped boards, I'd market THAT; they are flawless, perfect copies of each other and you have a very very narrow margin for mistake, that's got some value. My feathers start to get ruffled though, when every few weeks I learn exactly whose boards are machine shaped and marketed as hand shaped. When you're being dishonest and toting a term thats not applicable, in order to make a product more 'classic' and warrant a higher price tag, the truth usually comes out.

I'm guessing that most people reading this at the moment are thinking shortboards, hp longboards, etc. as the products I'm speaking of. When what I'm talking about are full on 'retro' 'classic' or 'alternative' boards. The ones all over the blogs and websites that you're cruising through today, by big, popular shapers, by the most 'soulful' shapers. I know people who have sold their entire quivers once they figured out the truth about their "hand shaped" boards. Making one or two honest hand shapes per week (I'm giving you guys the benefit of the doubt on that one), and 20 machine shapes, doesn't deserve the term 'hand shaped' for all of your boards...It's a blatant lie and to me just shows lack of respect for your customers.

Machine shaped boards have a place in the industry and honestly are likely the only way to keep board prices under $1,000 in the coming future. The demand for boards is just too large and honestly not everyone wants to spend more money on a hand shaped board. There are people out there though, doing justice to the term and being supported by people who care. I'd just like the lines to stop being blurred, and for everyone to be proud of what their product honestly is, even if it's machined...Just own it.

There's a laundry list of guys who fall under the pointed comments above, and your heart would likely break if I named them and you cared much for the debate.

I'm not trying to out anyone in particular. I haven't written this directly at one person or another, these are thoughts and bits of conversations I've been having for the past couple of years.

I'm pleading for some honesty from my fellow shapers that are, in their quest for their place in an honorable craft, dishonoring one of the last real traditions within it.

Pass this on if you feel like it, I hope the message is clear and not misread.

Fish Fry 2012

2011-09-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Fish Fry next year will be as always the first weekend of March. If you were at this years Fish Fry you will have noticed a changing of the guard if you like . Not only fishes but other boards on display as well. This was a first but also if you like a natural progression and evolution for this group of like minded people. I have tried to explain it as follows...

It all started with the fish when the innovative shapers and board builders out there decided to revisit the past for some inspiration. In doing so they brought back some lost skills such as resin tints and hand foiled fins.The Fish Fry has been a place for these fine craftsmen to showcase their skills. We have seen some amazing boards as shapers have pushed the boundaries over the last few years. As this new look at the fish has evolved to its many forms, it has influenced other shapes and designs along the way.This has spawned a renewed interest in other board forms by this same group and a wider following.Notably the Mini Simmons, Hulls, old school Logs and Pigs. It is pleasing to note that there are an increasing number of people building their own boards as well.

All of this is to be applauded and celebrated as a positive for surfing.So it is only natural that these shapers and board builders continue to share their skills with us and include these other shapes at the Fish Fry.

It has truly become a melting pot of ideas for like minded people , and I think it is great.

So please if you are one of the many people out there that is having a go at shaping your own boards , bring them along. There is no better feeling than surfing something you shaped yourself.

The dual fin Bolt by Tomo

2011-09-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

This looks like a fish to me...

More like a gun here...

This is from Daniel Thomson's blog...
" I have been privileged with the opportunity to shape some concept guns for Lightning Bolt Surfboards. The legendary brand has stepped up to the plate and ordered some of my new Dual Fin Guns as a part of their revival push in the U.S

The Bolt once ruled the big wave domain in Hawaii in the late 70's and Early 80's. This era saw the peak of the world class surfer/shaper's Gerry Lopez, Mark Richards, Rory Russel to name a few, refining their own sleds to tackle the gnarliest waves in the world. I have always loved the foil templates of this era. Bullet noses with clean accelerating curves. Full Fluid Accelerators !!

It was my goal to try to re-produce this proven curve with all the modern design elements. Basically, I shaped a modern version of a 7'6 and 8'0 Lightning Bolt Pin Tail, proceeded to saw approx 6-8" off the tail before cutting in my (mini) Raptor V1 & V2 tails for low drag control.

I figured losing the pin tails adding the Raptors would open up the turning radius (tighter Arcs) reduce drag (speed increase) and balance it out with a naturally controlled, Parallel Dual-Keel fin setting to provide a stable, predictable ride.

Think of it as a ‘Double single fin’ with heel/toe control rather than a ‘twin-fin’ .

Furthermore, i feel there will be no loss of paddle power as the now wider pod area will lift the tail into waves resulting in a smaller more efficient big wave package.

I decided that the high velocity ‘Tomohawk Keels’ were apt for these designs to combat the extreme laminar pressures apparent in big wave surfing. The leading edge of the fins will efficiently cut through the water with effective rail to rail pitch. Once the board is on rail, the clean parallel rail outline will engage, the hatchet fin will flex and load accelerating the rider through the turn. I have experienced no cavitation as a result of using the particular angular fins,

Whether or not this is a breakthrough in big wave performance will remain to be seen.

But logic suggests, two is better than one, faster than three and four and all the performance boxes are ticked and circled. Cant wait to launch over a few ledges this Coming Winter.

*Special thanks to Moonlight Glassing for the pro glass jobs."

The big fish are out there

2011-09-03T23:56:00.000-07:00

HELLO, from Skip - Sea Movies from www.KORDUROY.tv on Vimeo.

Fish and Simmons from Chus in North Western Spain

2011-08-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

Mini Simmons Quad 5' 5" x 22" x 3"

The big Simmons 7' x 22" x 2 3/4"

Mini Simmons 5' 6" x 22 1/2" x 3"

6' x 22" x 3" keel fin fish

The big fish - 7' x 22" x 3" quad fin fish

5' 6" x 22 1/2" x 3" Mini Simmons

5' 4" x 20" x 2 5/8" Mini Simmons

It is great to once again see a range of boards from Chus in Spain. He has a nice mix of influences in his range of boards . He has mixed them up nicely and created some interesting boards.

Check him out at : www.chusmasurfboards.blogspot.com

A story to share , that has touched us all.

2011-08-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Some Indo Simmons action

2011-08-20T02:19:00.000-07:00

The "Tiki" Simmons

2011-08-18T11:14:00.001-07:00

5ft x 24" x 2 3/4" Bamboo Quad

Nice little board by Keith "Tiki" Nevelee...

" I personally prefer quads for wide tail boards both short and long and after making twin fins for the first two simmon's I made, the quads seem to go better with more drive with the wider tails."

The Sandia Fish from Almond

2011-08-16T02:15:00.000-07:00

Sandia Fish from Almond Surfboards on Vimeo.

The Dim Sim

2011-08-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

Mark Pridmore and his latest Dim Sim

Fabric inlay

Mark hales from the Sunshine Coast - www.moresurfboards.com

Wooden Board Day this weekend

2011-08-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Click on the poster for a bigger view

This weekend is the wooden board day at the Currumbin Alley. I hope you can make it. Sounds like we have some interesting people with a great deal of talent planing on being there. It will be a great opportunity to meet other board builders / shapers and see what they are up to. Or if you are interested in starting a project you couldn't be amongst a greater talent pool. So if you have built a board or would like to, come and join in the spirit of the day. Bring your board , your picnic lunch and have a surf. Low tide first up , some nice banks at the moment.

Don't forget if you are in town Saturday night head over to the Gold Coast Surf Museum and hear from 3 greatly talented speakers on wooden board building.
6.30pm at Surf World Museum
Tomewin Street opposite The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

If you have any questions contact me - grantnewby@bigpond.com

The 2012 model

2011-07-29T01:49:00.000-07:00

Here is the new "Trash Can Simmons" from Adrian Knott at Rake

" Full art inlay black laps - black pigment deck, stringerless arctail - refined shape for 2012"

" This is a 5'0 x 21.5 x 2 3/8 "

" Laminated by sean nettleton - art & shaped by Ado Knott "

Word is - " this new board goes sick. "

www.rakesurfboards.blogspot.com

Off to Bali on Saturday

2011-07-28T03:34:00.001-07:00

Johnny T , a happy camper with his new simmons. On the plane to Bali Saturday for 3 weeks.

5ft 4" x 22 1/2" x 3" - nice gloss job by Peter Mo.

Futures Rasta keels seem to be the goods.

Check out Johns blog : papanuisays.blogspot.com

David's winter project.

2011-07-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Annual Alley Fish Fry has attracted the interest of many innovative shapers in the past. And a growing number of home / backyard inspired shapers as well. It is great to see and great for the whole surfing community to have guys have a go at it themselves and realise what goes into building a board. To appreciate what so many have taken for granted for so long. Anyway here is David Chung's first shape with "Chunky" - 5ft 2" x 22" x 2.75" - looks the goods to me.

" I just wanted to share my latest project with you. I've been obessed with the Mini Simmons for a long time and always thought it's simple shape would be perfect for a garage shaper's first attempt at mowing foam. I had so much fun using new tools to shape the board and it was totally satisfying experience."

" Chunky (it still has a lot of foam left in the nose and tail) had our maiden voyage this morning in shoulder high waves. Despite my nervousness she handled the bottoms turns and loved the high line. Chunky has a substantial tail (14.5") so the real test is whether I can turn her back into the foam. "

" Thanks again for inspiring us to have a crack at shaping our own water sleds with your blog. Nothing beats riding something you've spent hours making yourself "
Dave.

One mans storm surf is another mans curse.

2011-07-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

Snapper Saturday morning
(pic from Coastal Watch)

The recent storm that hit the south and east of Australia creating some great waves over the weekend for us. Has continued on to New Zealand dumping snow down to 300m. This is Christchurch this morning 25th August. Pics from Dave Foulds a Christchurch local and a Dick Van fish man.

" The quiver having a shiver "

Dane and the "Sperm Whale"

2011-07-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

Dane on a really small baded out version of the Mini Simmons.

Wooden fish ride report

2011-07-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Nick Yee organised for Paul Jensen from Washington State to come out to Australia and conduct a wooden board building class last year. This is Nick's board he built and his ride report.

The design is one of Paul's and the construction is a plywood frame , skinned top and bottom with Paulownia and Cedar. Laminated cork and ply rails.

"Have now ridden the board enough to know that I love it! Though even if it rode like a dog, I’d still love it because I made it….fact is, the ride is fast and the board feels very different to anything else I have and for that reason alone, it is awesome. I haven’t ridden it in waves of consequence yet, and not yet buried a rail on a hard turn, but I have enjoyed some long waves trimming top to bottom and generating speed. The momentum the board picks up after the drop and a quick pump is more than I expected. The glassing by Stonker is excellent and am stoked with my decision to go with fin boxes….as the bamboo keels do something amazing and bonus, they blend in with the overall look of the board. Anyways, that is my 2bobs experience thus far…yes, its one of those boards you keep in the house instead of the garage."

If you are interested in wooden boards check out : www.woodensurfboards.blogspot.com
Paul Jensen's site : www.hollowsurfboards.com

The More Surfboards simmons

2011-07-06T02:17:00.000-07:00

" Hey Grant, seems quite a few people are really enjoying the mini-simmons' of late and recently there's been variations and hybrids starting to appear which is great, I love tinkering and tweaking with different designs to get a fully FUNctional hybrid. Calling this one "The Dumpling", its a big 'dim-SIM' with a few tweaks here and there, mostly the rocker, which is flat, even flatter than my 'dim-SIM's' but they have alot going on underneath to make sure they still turn well...but these are small wave speed machines...I have really targeted tiny to small waves with this shape and god knows we get alot of waves in this size range so finding ideal testing conditions have been easy.....few pics..., cheers,

ps- looking forward to see many other shapers interpretations and hybrids of the mini....good times in design....
pps- this one is 5'11" x 21 3/4" x 2 11/16" Quad...

Check out : www.moresurfboards.com for what else they are up to.

Tyler in Bali

2011-07-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

" Since I have been in Bali I shaped a 5'1'' Bar of soap which is a fast planning surface (mini Simmons inspired with a 11inch tail block… "

He also shaped and glassed a longboard in 2 days and then won a comp on it.

Thanks to the guys at Deus Bali.

The Wounded Warrior Fish

2011-06-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Bobby getting ready to wet it's head

Betty, Bobby Donnelly and John Cherry at the Wounded Warriors Surf Camp in Del Mar .

John Cherry has some very special mates , Bobby Donnelly and Christopher Tomlin who have served their country and come home wounded. Bobby lost his right leg, below the knee. Chris just got blown up 3-4 times in Humvee's. His injuries are slightly less apparent outwardly, but equally traumatic. Bobby and Chris, both accomplished surfers, are very involved and dedicated to the Wounded Warriors Surf Camp at Del Mar, California.

They both love their surfing and wanted to keep doing it. This inspired John to design a new board that would enable them to still enjoy the stoke that was a big part of their lives.

Great looking John Cherry fins

A bit of the Simmons influence there ?

John Cherry wrote " At 5' 1-1/2" x 22-1/2" x 3" with a wide overall template these young athletes can hopefully paddle it into waves. It has a fast hull design, employing a subtle single-into-double bottom, low profile single-foil, Simmons-ish twin keels, set forward for maneuverability and (2) hand holds just forward of the deck concave for extra control. Peter, Sally, Gary Stuber and the crew at Moonlight Glassing have donated the glass job. Dave King of King SUP'S is donating the pad that will cover the deck concave area. I would like to thank them all for helping me with this project."

What a great looking board and what a great team of friends to get together and make this happen.
I was sent a note from Bobby Donnelly which read -

"On behalf of all the guys & gals down at the camp, Thank you so much.Words cannot express how much your donation, time and craftsmanship is appreciated. It's a beautiful board, the glass job is impeccable, the traction from kings is perfect and of course those fins are killer.
Thank you for sharing the stoke and feel free to come down any Thursday and have a paddle out or just hang and socialize with the troops. From my perspective as an amputee surfer it's so great to see people in the industry or any surfer take time from there busy work day to come down and spend any time at all with the guys. I am extremely grateful and proud to have served our country for people like you.

Very Respectfully,

Bobby Donnelly
EOD, USN, AD

For me , surfing is about having fun and time on the water with friends .It is great to see that these guys have such great friends that can band together and make this happen for them. A great story that I am very happy to share with you all.

Voted the best fish shaper in Britain

2011-06-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Creative collective: Gulfstream from wavedreamer on Vimeo.

Check the boys out at : www.gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk

A modern take on the Simmons

2011-06-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

Some recent shapes from Mark Pridmore on the Sunshine Coast. Check them out at :

www.moresurfboards.com

Ryan Burch - Pink Fish

2011-06-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

A film we all have to see for sure

2011-06-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

" Surfing is supposed to be an individual act. It’s supposd to illicit creativity and take place in a natural environment. It’s supposed to have moments familiar and original. It’s supposed to be both elegant and raw. Surfing isn’t supposed to be choreographed.

The surfer and board do what they want. Let them be seen as they want to be seen; let them be heard through only their motions. Let them surf in climates warm and cold, on waves big and small, on boards long and short, in countries near and far. Let the camera capture what it can.

Let there be Sight|Sound.

From the surfer-director of Picaresque, is another film without dialogue. Another group of talented individuals doing what they do best, with an eclectic soundtrack mixed-in to enhance the vibe."

Starring: Chris Del Moro, Justin Quintal, Kassia Meador, Alek Parker, Ryan Burch, Mikey DeTemple, Scotty Stopnik, Jared Mell, Daniel Thompson and Tyler Warren

Looking forward to this one for sure.

SIGHT|SOUND from High Seas Films on Vimeo.

The Paddle Pop from Rake

2011-06-20T10:24:00.001-07:00

The Rake Paddle Pop Swallow 5'2"x 22x 2 3/8 " mint & grey pigment seems to be the hot ticket at the moment. Small fast and slippery , just like it should be.

They also have a new site & blog if you want to check them out :
www.rakefoamshapes.com
www.rakesurfboards.blogspot.com

The Italian bar of soap

2011-05-25T02:22:00.000-07:00

Jackie and I have just gotten back from a trip to Italy where we caught up with Marco Mazzini who organised last years European Fish Fry in Italy. He came out to the Gold Coast last year to the Alley Fish Fry.
He took us to meet his good friend Michele Puliti who is the one man band at Olo Surfboards.

Just prior to us heading off Marco had sent me this video of Michele shaping his first Mini Simmons. So it was good to see first hand how it had come out .

Check out his handy work : www.olasurfboards.com
www.olasurfboards.blogspot.com

Thanks to everyone

2011-05-25T01:17:00.001-07:00

Well the journey of the Earthquake Surfboard has now had a happy ending. We wanted to thank everyone for the support and well wishes over the past few weeks.

We were amazed at the unfolding events of the auction. This resulted in having 9974 hits on Trademe with over 100 people watching the auction, which far exceeded all of our expectations. The final bid was $2061.00 NZD, which will be making its way to the Red Cross.

The winner of the Earthquake Surfboard and handmade wall racks is a Cantabrian surfer. It is pretty fantastic to think the board will go to someone who has personal attachment to the City of Christchurch.

We are eternally grateful to those in the surfing community both in New Zealand and internationally who embraced this cause. It was also humbling to get so many heartfelt messages from those people who told us they were not from a surfing background, their sentiments expressed to us greatly contributed to the significance of the Earthquake Board.

Once again we wanted to thank everyone!!

Jelly Bean Simmons

2011-05-24T03:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of fruity little numbers from Jessie Watson at Black Apache Surfboards here on the Gold Coast

4ft 11" Velosim from Ryan Lovelace

2011-05-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

Ryan , a guest speaker at this years Fish Fry is one of the new wave of innovative , young gun hand shapers. Yes the future id in good hands.

Fish Fry Japan 2011

2011-05-19T02:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday 28th of May at Shizunami Beach , Shizuoka

Dead Kooks

2011-05-19T02:04:00.000-07:00

In recent years as guys have started experimenting with boards and what they are willing to ride , there has also been a significant increase in those same guys wanting to branch out and have a go at shaping their own boards. This is a great development for all of us. Eden Saul here on the Gold Coast is one of a number of locals that have taken up the challenge with planer in hand.

He loves to experiment and test ride all sorts of craft. His other job is as a paid lifeguard on our beaches. Check out what he is doing : www.deadkooks.com

Some cool ideas from Bing

2011-05-18T02:47:00.000-07:00

Surfboard shapers woorkshop

2011-05-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

Richard Harvey here on the Gold Coast is a well known and long time hand shaper who has put together a series of classes to teach you how to design and shape a surfboard.I know there are lots of guys keen to have a go at shaping their own boards and this is a great way to learn from someone who has been doing it for a long time. I highly recommend this course.

" The Surfboard Shapers Workshop ® has found a location in Melbourne to hold an Introduction & Orientation course. It will run for three hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, at a date yet to be set, but will most likely be in August - September. The Introduction & Orientation covers Unit 1 of the Surfboard Shapers Workshop, plus a little more.
For those wanting to register their interest in the workshop please email for an information pack to mailto:info@surfboardshapersworkshop.com.au with the subject heading "Melbourne Surfboard Shapers Workshop"

Outline of the course
SURFBOARD SHAPERS WORKSHOP

UNIT 1: THE SHAPING BAY - INTRODUCTION & ORIENTATION
3 hrs - Group Session
• The shaping bay layout with lighting, stands, racks and benches.
• Tools, what they do, how to use them and how to select yours.
• Building your own Shaping Stands
• Understanding the custom order form.
• Design elements.
• Understanding the fundamentals and character of boards and fins.
• Selecting the correct blank shape for your design.
• Creating templates
• Translating measurements
• Creating your own logo

A notes folder containing, tool lists, information on setting up a shaping bay, safety equipment, a set of diagrams for building your own shaping stands and a Surfboard Shapers Workshop DVD's (retail value $30) will be also be included.
Surfboard Shaping Stand kits and T-shirts will be available for order on the night.

For those interested this will then lead onto Unit 2 and 3 resulting in a surfboard that you have shaped for yourself from scratch. (see details below)

UNIT 2: DESIGN & PLAN SHAPING & ROUGH SHAPING
3 hrs - Individual Session
• Drawing & cutting your plan shape
• Using the planer - Safety ckeck list
• Rough shaping the bottom
• Rough shaping the deck
• Rough shaping the rails

UNIT 3: FINE TUNING YOUR DESIGN & FINISH SHAPING
4 Hours - Group Session
• Fine Shaping
• Rail shapes
• How to shape Channels and Concaves
• Tucked under edges
• Checking for bumps
• Gauze rails
• Stringer heights
• Marking fin positions
• Final dimensions check and ID
• Shape ready for glassing

" As I have had interest in the Surfboard Shapers Workshop from other areas, if you are from either Sydney, Adelaide or the Sunshine Coast and are keen in attending a course in your area then please email with the subject heading of your city, example: (Adelaide - Surfboard Shapers Workshop) and if there is enough interest for your city then I will investigate a suitable location and time."

To contact Richard :

0414 557 624
info@harveysurf.com
www.harveysurf.com

Now this is a fish

2011-05-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here is an 11 foot keel fish shaped by Rich Pavel for Steve Schirmacher

Fins by John Cherry

Steve's ride report ," Rode it at a little corner at Trestles today and this board is beyond words..."

The Balsa fish for the Earthquake appeal

2011-05-11T01:54:00.000-07:00

For more details on the board , bidding for it get hold of Jay :

SADHANA SURFBOARDS
Ph/Fax: +64 (3) 389 5611
www.sadhanasurfboards.co.nz

Michael Lim's Nice quiver

2011-05-07T00:36:00.001-07:00

5'11" H.I.C 80's twinzer fish. A mate bought it from ebay years ago, the 1st owner have it in his garage for 14 years before listing it on ebay. I took over when he became a Dad & unable to travel for waves.

5'4" Mini Arc tail quad by Yuta of Shaka Stics

5'9" DVS twin keels fish. Traded my 1978 Suzuki TS125 street scrambler motorbike w/ a buddy for it.

4'11" Half Moon tail mini-sim inspired twin keels by Yuta of Shaka Stics : http://shakastics.blogspot.com/

5'9" EHO quad fish w/101 bamboo fins, glassed by Moonlight Glassing : http://www.breaksselection.blogspot.com/

5'8" ODY Classic twin keel fish (my 1st fish shape in 2004) Ody was a backyard Mexican shaper that learnt his shaping skills in Cardiff by the Sea in San Deigo. After 9 years & a wife, he went back to Mexico & started his own surfshop at the famous Puerto Escondido "Mexican Pipeline" : http://www.odyboards.com/en/

5'5" double wings quad fish

New York Fish Fry # 5 - 2011

2011-05-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Weekend of May 14-15 2011
9:00 am onward
LOCATION TBA
Long Beach NY

*The 14th or 15th will be chosen a couple of days prior to take advantage of weather and surf conditions.

For updates or more info check : fishfryny.blogspot.com

Great to see the tradition kicking on in the Big Apple.

New Kiwi Simmons being tested

2011-05-04T12:06:00.001-07:00

5ft 5"

Lok Box and Speed Dialer fins

A new 5ft 5" Mini Simmons from Roger Hall in New Zealand. Not too many of these over the ditch I would think. It will be good to see what Roger will come up with next after checking out many of these such craft at the 5 Fish Fry's he has been to.

A Hollow wood Mini-Sim made in Singapore & finished in Bali.

2011-05-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

" This is Mike from Singapore. Yes, there are surfers in Singapore , an island with no waves but only 2 hrs flight from Indo & it's surf riches.
I be a follower of your "The Alley Fish Fry" blog & is smitten with all these alternative boards porn. I myself have quite a few fish type shape in my bunch. That's will be another mail altogether."

" Anyway,I thought I would share with you & the other devotees the stoke of my 1st hollow wooden mini-sim shaped and built by a buddy of mine Capt Tien aka Ali Bob as he was known in the FaceBook world.
Tien is a full fledge Singapore Airlines Pilot that where he get the Capt namesake from. True to his heart, he a tinker & all around Mr Craftsman, plus a pioneer figure in our minuscule Singapore surfing tribe.
So when he signed up late last year for the Grain's build your own workshop, I knew the end result from Maine will definitely sprout some wood seedling in our local water."

"So true to my believe, Tien has begun to start build his own hollow wooden boards after Maine. His 1st sole board on his own was a copy of his wifey's high performance fish shape which came out awesome looking in terms of built quality & shape but it didn't surf as well to his expectation due to some over-jess on the single to double concave bottom.... think bonzer on steroids!! Haha.."

"From the time he return from Maine, I have been implanting thoughts of a hollow wood Mini-Sim shape in his mind, knowing that he gravitate to the challenges of the shape's hull entry to single concave bottom & the scoop nose design. Tien bite the bait, took up the challenge last Nov & we started working on a Mini-Sim shape for me. I did most of the research/inputs from the internet, also asked my California shaper Yuta from the Shaka Stics label for his thoughts, advise & tips..."

"Got on Tien's Ass of the project management. Insist of having it at 5'2" & the scoop nose feature even though Tien thinking it will not work.
80% of the board structure form was build in Tien's spare bedroom apartment converted wood workshop. The balance rails, final finishing & epoxy glassing was done in Bali where he is based in when not flying."

" Board's dims is 5'2" x 21 3/4" x 2 5/8".
Deck strips are all in pine w/ 2 red cedar stringers.
Bottom are 2 stripe of pine, sandwiched w/ 2 red cedar stringers, finished w/ a local Indo wood similar to balsa. Rails are all Balsa. Hardwood tail block."

Twin keel fins in Birch plywood custom foiled by Yuta of Shaka Stic : http://shakastics.blogspot.com/

" Board is still in Bali now & I will be making a trip over end of May to fondle her rails & taking my 1st slide on her."

"Thanks for reading my long winded email. Hope you like how my board turned out & it will be great to be feature in your Alley Fish Fry blog."

Regards
MIKE LIM

Thanks Mike , it just shows where there is a will there is a way of building your dream board and it may be a little further to the beach than it is for most of us , but the wait will be worth it.We look forward to the surf report from Bali.

Wooden fish to raise money for the Christchurch Quake relief

2011-05-02T01:53:00.000-07:00

First gluing up for preshaping. When shaped close to final thickness and rockers, the board will again be cut to enable each piece to be chambered.

Just to recap on past posts , Jay Jackman of Sadhana Surfboards in Christchurch were lucky enough to have survived the earthquake earlier this year. And so to help out have set about shaping a board to raise money for helping out.

Shaping complete ready for glassing.

" I’m excited to say the 6’3” Balsa Fish Earth quake Donation Board is now finished. I am really happy with the way it has turned out."

" Our business was only a matter of a few kilometres from the quake epicentre on February 22nd. Our factory is now being held up by temporary timber framing whilst other adjacent
buildings are now red stickered or have been demolished.

Just to recap, I have shaped a timber surf board, basing the design on our most popular local model. The timbers used for the main shape of the board are South American Balsa, renowned in the surfing community as a craftsman’s wood of choice. The centre stringers and fins are
timbers from a demolished factory that once stood right behind our own. The board is 6’3” in length, to represent the 6.3mag quake that changed a lot of lives. On the stringer near the tail, I have sprayed a design to represent the view when sitting in the waves looking west to the
mountains of our region. These are in the red and black of Canterbury."

Length: 6’3” Width: 21 7/8” Thickness: 2 7/8” " I have hand made some rimu wall racks to be included (like in photo), so the board can be displayed.

The board is now in the show room for the next week for those who are able to come and have a look. The auction on " Trademe " will begin on Monday 9th May 2011. All money from the
auction will be donated to the Red Cross Christchurch Earth quake Appeal."

Unfortunately there have been many rumbles since we first started our project and they just still keep on coming. This has only continued to remind me of the importance of making this board.

We can now thank fully venture back to our local beaches, just in time to put on our hoods and booties for the winter swell.

Even though it feels like Christchurch is slowly putting itself back together, I hear of many
people still struggling on a daily basis to get back to some sense of normality. I hope this board in some way goes to helping alleviate this.

I wanted to thank you all for following our journey in making the Earth quake Board. Your
support and encouraging comments have been really appreciated. Fingers crossed we get some generous bids.

We also continue to think of all those people facing uncertainty in Japan. Our thoughts are still with you."

To find out more on the board or to make a bit please email Jay :
Jay Jackman jay@sadhanasurfboards.co.nz

The Freak Fish

2011-04-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when the creative Tim Stafford cross bred the Bonzer with the Fish

The Arc Tail Freak Fish - EVO6 Bonzer

He designed and foils his own fins

And the is the artist as well.The man has talent and the skills to experiment in a way many of us wish we could.

Check out his other shapes and art at : www.justbonzers.blogspot.com

The art of the Fish

2011-04-26T02:50:00.001-07:00

Artist Luke Taaffe and local shaper Dan Mac Donald have teamed up to create some boards for the new Roxy shops here on the Gold Coast and in Victoria.

The boys at Deus in Bali have been adding a bit of batik and colour to some of the boards shaped by another local Gold Coast shaper Chris Garrett.

Nice so see art and craft mixing as it should to complement each other.There are some nice things happening out there. Ah the Fish has become the little craft that has changed the way we look at our surfing , express ourselves and personalise the things we love.

Tyler Warren and the Bar of Soap

2011-04-19T02:28:00.000-07:00