Nuno's new Simmons

Nuno from Portugal just sent me a couple of shots of his new simmons from a local shaper , Paulo Jacinto. Good looking board.

New and Old

This is Eduardo Tibagy from Santos Brazil on his fish . " I love it surfboard fish, actually I have one 6'0 twin optional three fins (3 fins only for big days).
I send my picture with my first fish surfboard, 2-fins, 5'10'', local (beach) Itarare-SV during sunny day! "
He also sent me this shot of himself with a Cabalitto de Totara.
" Caballitos de totora are reed watercrafts used by Peruvian fishermen, originally the Moche people, for the past 3,000 years, archaeologically evidenced from pottery shards.
Named for the way they are ridden, straddled ('little reed horses' in English), fishermen use them to transport their nets and collect fish in their inner cavity. The name is not the original name as horses were not introduced to South American until after the Spanish arrived in the 15th Century. They are made from the same reed, Scirpus californicus, used by the Los Uros people in the Lake Titicaca region.

Fishermen in the port town of Huanchaco famously, but in many other locations practically, still use these vessels to this day, riding the waves back into shore, and suggesting some of the first forms of wave riding. There is currently a minor debate in the surfing world as to whether or not this constitutes the first form of surfing. "

All they were missing was a fish tail and some keels ?

Rubber up your Fish ?

Maybe only in Japan , but is this to protect your ride or to make it look like an Orca ?
Got me. Any ideas ?

Fish Fry Japan goes alternate

This years " Fish Fry " is to be held on the 29th of May 2010 in Shizunami, Shizuoka, Japan.

However, this is not going to be a “Fish Fry” as you know it anymore I am told. Apparently the Fish is an old fad or trend in Japan according to the Media driven surf industry. As it states on the poster it is now to be opened up as an " Alternative Surfing Movement " which means Fish , Quads , Bonzers , Egg , Spoon , Hull , Balsa Wood , Asymetric and more. Has this not gone off on a tangent like the " Anything But 3" that replaced the Fish Fry in California ?

Well I know that the Fish has opened up people's minds to experiment and get creative with what they will ride , which is great and only good for surfing. But I would still like to see the Alley Fish Fry as a Fish inspired gathering. That may also mean there are a few boards that have taken on some of their characteristics from a cross over and influence from other shapes or styles of boards , but are derived from the fish. Like Sage Joske's Vector which is a long slender fish inspired by the Alaia , or an Alaia in foam inspired from many years of shaping fish. Or the Mini Simmons .You know what I mean.

Long live the Fish and the guys who shape them and love to ride them.

New Simmons for Dane Reynolds

Dan Mac Donald here on the Gold Coast made this Mini Simmons for Dane when he was here for the Quiksilver Pro. It is 5ft 8" and was the first Simmons Dan had built.

Dane surfed it and said " Too Big"

So here is the next one he is yet to pick up - 4ft 6" x 19 3/4" x 2 3/8"


Now that is small when you see it in the flesh. More like a skate board to me.

Surfrider Foundation Board Swap

Adam Feichtmann, President of Surfrider Foundation Gold Coast and Tweed , just send me this note to let everyone know that he is organising the Surfrider Foundation Board Swap for Saturday May 1st at Currumbin Alley .

"We are trying to run a simple event that promotes the recycling of surfboards. It is pretty simple: Grab and old board that you have just sitting around the house/garage and bring it to the Alley on May 1st 9am-12pm with the hope of "swapping" it with another mate who brought their old boards. The event is free, and could cost nothing to pick up your next favorite board. If you wanted to hand out some flyers and do have the resources to print them, we could meet up and I could give you a handful of flyers. (I live in Palmy)"

Cheers,
Adam Feichtmann
0430710041
http://surfridergct.org

Fish Fry T Shirts

I have a couple of XL fish fry T shirts if anyone is interested email me at grantnewby@bigpond.com

Easter at The Alley - Saturday

5.30am and the first waves of the day...

Checking the sets roll through in the morning light.

Gold Coast white out to the south ... but off shore down the river mouth on the other side of the rock

You have to watch for the suck rook at low tide...

First plane of the day 6.00am

Pretty fat and gutless at times

Not as good as it looked from the carpark in the half light.

Plenty of crew once the sun popped out from the morning cloud

Oh yeah its a great time of year....

Some pretty solid swell at times on the wide sand bank.


Wouldn't live anywhere else...

Easter at The Alley - Friday morning

There were some nice ones going through to Laceys.

Nice ones inside the point as the tide came in.

Party waves all morning.

More party waves and boats coming and going out the river mouth to catch fish on the Palm Beach Reef


Beautiful morning with wispy showers out to sea.

No one was alone between sets and still they came.

There were even more flying in for the long weekend holiday. This is Easter on the Gold Coast.Why would we live anywhere else. There were guys in the lineup at 4.45am in the dark. Yes it was crowded , but there were plenty of waves to go round and good spirits all round. The way it should be.
Happy Easter everyone.

Pendoflex Fishes by Steve Pendarvis

Steve built this high aspect Pendoflex fish for Rasta in 2009.



Steve and Cher Pendarvis sent me these pics of their boards with good wishes for the Fish Fry.
" Here are some of our favorite fish rides, built of foam and wood. From left to right, high aspect Geppie Pendoflex, 6'10 chambered balsa fish by Mike Casey, Steve and Cher, 5'4 chambered balsa fish by Mike Casey, Steve and Cher, Steve Lis Apricot fish from 1970." Thanks for the kind thoughts and I hope they can join us at the Fry one year with their boards.

Find out more about their boards at : www.pendo.com

Start them young...

Young Cain Pridmore from Yamba is 11 years old and following in his dads footsteps as a shaper. Here he is with a stringerless 5ft 2" x 19" x 2 1/2" fish for himself. Under his dad Mark's guidance he was into it. He also likes to get into the artwork for boards and so it will be good to see the finished board. Never too young to start making foam dust.Good one mate.

New York Fish Fry May 15th or 16th

If you are heading to New York then you should plan to check out the 3rd annual New York Fish Fry on May 15th or 16th. The date will be determined a few days before the event based on the weather and surf , so stay tuned. This is sure to be a great time if you are in town. Take your quiver or just go and check out everyone elses. It will kick off at 9am Lincoln Blvd, Long Beach, New York.
It is great to see that the Fish Fry can exist anywhere there are some hard core Fish Heads willing to get together for a day of fun.

Bob McTavish finless "Twin Hot Curl"

Bob Mc Tavish is a little guy, full of energy and big ideas who goes at 100 miles an hour. It was great to have him come along to the Fish Fry with one of his latest projects that he has been working on. The Twin Hot Curl. Much like the Mirandon Twin Pin was inspired by two pin tails it is not hard to see the Hot Curl finless influence here.

Nice sleek lines and side cut to make the water flow onto the rails.
Two Hot Curl tails looking straight back at you.
Bob said it is so much fun to ride and this is from a guy who surfs something everyday he is near the sea. A great honour to have him be part of the day. As I have said in the past the Fish Fry has brought together the thinkers and experimenters from the shaping bays and to be able to have them express their thoughts in foam for all of us to see. And the fish has been the starting point for much of this . From this has given rise to a whole new wave of thinking and alternative boards to have fun on. I am happy for the Fish Fry to become this outlet for these guys who are willing to share their dreams.