2 weeks today until this years Fish Fry

Well it is two weeks away and summer surely is upon us. The water today was 26.5c on the life guards board at the beach this morning and 34c in the shade on my back deck this afternoon.
The Gold Coast is a great place to live for sure. This the Alley looking back to Surfers Paradise.

You have to love the resin tints that the fish has brought back to boards and hand foiled fins as well.

This is a shot taken buy Danny Hess's wife Erin in 2007, the first Fish Fry.A great outlook from the park across the road to the beach.

Pick your flavour...

Andrew Wells from Grown Surfboards has been busy building some boards for the fish fry.

5ft 8" chambered Paulownia with airbrushing by Shane Martin

This is the sort of boards that will be at the Fish Fry in a couple of weeks.I know of a number of guys who are building boards especially for the day. Which is unreal ans shows the commitment out there. Thanks Andy for the effort and support .

Check out what else he has been up to - www.grownsurfboards.com.au

Richard Kenvin's slide show

Richard Kenvin's Hydrodynamica Slideshow Oct 2010 from Matthew McGregor-Mento on Vimeo.

Stephane's new Mini Simmons

Just got these great shots from Stephane Guillaume in France of his new board shaped by Terry Surfboards in Biarritz.

Just love the graphics and all the colour , very different I must say.

www.terrysurfboards.com

2011 European Fish Fry date set

If you want to know more about this or organise a trip over for the event contact Rob Lion at :
royalsurfboards@googlemail.com

Great to see that they are keeping the flame alight and all the best for the day guys.

Sergio's fish with style and colour

Sergio treats his fish as if it was a religion...

He loves colour and does great resin work to compliment his shapes

I first met Sergio Gomez when he came to the Fish Fry a couple of years ago with Roger hall from New Zealand where he had been working with Roger at Surfline Surfboards.He is a great guy and a great shaper. Not long after he headed off to France where he has set up business and continues to shape and live.If you are over that way and want a nice board he will look after you.
You can check him out at :
www.fishcove.blogspot.com

The Mini Simmons story

I have posted this before , but it is interesting . So here it is and let me know what you think.You will see many of these little guys at the fish fry , from many different shapers. Try one and see what all the fun is about. Yes they are different and a little hard to get you head around , but try one and answer it for yourself.

Looking for something a little different ?

Ryan Lovelace from Point Concept Surfboards in Santa Barbara will be here for the Fish Fry and is available to shape you a board while he is here.Check out his sites to see what he builds :
www.PointConceptSurf.com
www.PCProgress.blogspot.com

Remember that the Fish Fry brings together the best of shapers and the innovators of the shaping world so if you are interested in a new board this is the place to see what is out there.It is also you best opportunity to meet these great guys and even have a surf with them or try a board. Bring along the fish you have and compare it or swap with someone else on the day. This is what the whole day is all about and what makes it so different.

More big fish

Skip Frye the master with a board to glide the point and slide the bay.

John Cherry shapes a great board and the finest fins to go with them.

It would be great to have both of these gentlemen join us at the Fry one year. They sure have inspired me over the years.

A fishy fish from Moonlight Glassing

What a cool looking board from the guys at Moonlight Glassing in California.

The big fish...

A selection of 10ft and 11ft fishes from Rich Pavel , twin , quad and thrusters. I like a big fish myself and there are a number of us who love the glide with a fish tail. Sam Yoon here on the Gold Coast shapes many larger fish and he is only a small built guy.If you are after something different be sure to check them out at this years Fry. Rich is keen to shape some while he is here. Sam builds a beautiful board as well.

Mick Mackie and " Lost in the Ether "

Mick Mackie is a very innovative individual and loves to do his own thing. It has been a pleasure to have him at past Fish Fry. And Andrew Kidman has brought us some very special movies in the past. So am looking forward to this one.

Mick at work on a stringerless Simmons in styrene.

Side cut , big butt crack , flex tail , all things Mick likes to explore.

Jordan Nobel and Rake

Jordan Nobel the shaper of the great looking Rake mini simmons and fishes will be a speaker at the Fish Fry night as well.

Jordan is the owner of Note Surfboards on the Victorian coast. He was the 2009 Victorian Old Mal champ and is an avid surfer of all craft. He, like many other young shapers spent time at Classic Malibu at Noosa learning the ropes with Peter White, he later moved back to Torquay and started his own brand. He shapes a wide variety of boards but has a passion for the Mini Simmons and Fish that he builds under the Rake Label. He builds boards that are beautifully crafted with great glassing and finish. I am sure you will see why he is one of the new generation of Aussies leading the way out there doing what they love.

Great to have Ryan Lovelace @ the Fry

Ryan is a great example of the new young guns out there hand shaping and experimenting .He hails from Santa Barbara and is the owner of Point Concept Surfboards.

“He shaped his first board in Santa Barbara on his 19th birthday because he didn’t have enough coin to buy a Fish off the rack. What started as a one-man operation along with the help of best friends, namely Connor Lyon, Ryan has managed to turn his art, skill and energy into a dynamic business that creates between 5 and 20 boards a month for surfers who drool over his creative shapes and attention to detail”. He is self taught and willing to experiment with shapes, designs and materials which has led him to explore many aspects of board design and building. A shaper of the future with a keen following of young guns that inspire him to push the boundries.
It will be great to have Ryan , Connor and a number of mates come down for the Fry this year.Ben at Six Ounce in Sydney is stocking some of his boards and Ryan is keen to shape a few while here so get hold of Ben to line one up.Ryan is also one of our guest speakers the night before the fry at the Gold Coast Surf Museum. Be sure to book a space and get to hear from Ryan about his take on things fishy.

There is a chance Robin Kegel may make it to the fry

Robin Kegel form Gato Heroi built these boards for Japan and he emailed to say he hopes to make it out this year. Be great to have him as part of the mix.

Fish Fry night @ the Gold Coast Surf Museum

Once again the Gold Coast Surf Museum around the corner from the Alley is hosting a night for the Fish Fry. It is on Saturday night the 5th ( the night before the Fish Fry )If you click on the image you will be able to read it or email me and I can send it to you.A great night to be had for sure.

Rich Pavel

Rich Pavel has been a supporter of the Alley Fish Fry from the very beginning and each year he has traveled out here from San Diego. An interesting guy with a passion for shaping and passing on his knowledge to others. He is very supportive of young shapers and has mentored many of the young guns that are leading the way today.So it is great that he will be with us once again this year.He is keen to shape some boards while here , so if anyone is interested in one of his hand shapes let me know or contact him direct. Rich will also be a speaker on the Saturday night at the Surf World Museum. So this will be an opportunity to meet him along with many other shapers and to hear his background and take on the fish. He was one of the original San Diego fish shapers. An intriguing and generous man , that has an interesting story to be told.So come on the Saturday night before the Fish Fry the next day in the park to hear his story or ask him about the fish.