As requested, copyed and pasted.
I know this would have made more sense to go with the weekly updates but I was afraid that I would make a mess of it and never finish it and I hate leaving things undone. As it was, I had made a mess of it and Im not joking when I say somewhere down along that I walked away for months at a time.
There was once or twice when I went up to do a few bits (it was too big to do in my own place, as it is I have about an inch to spare to store it in the shed) that I left so annoyed with myself that I couldnt sleep that night.
It was only recentely I was on a trip to Morocco (few pic here for anyone interested http://www.flickr.com/photos/82797457@N00/sets/72157623442288790/ ) with Al and a few of the lads and Al spent most of the week convincing me to just glass it and surf it and if I still wasnt happy just flog it for €200 and chalk it down to experience.
Its still early days, but after the 1st few sessions Im stoked off my chuck.
Anyway, hope ye like the pics, there are one or two other bits in the pipline and I might do similar thing again with the blog, not really sure what to do with it.
And John, thanks again to you, I know I had you plauged with emails about bottom and rail shapes before this ever even started. You were a huge help.
This all started from a conversation with the then newly named Bing team
rider Garry Hall about what toys he had hiding in his shed and when he
mentioned he had a copy of a Skip Frye Eagle he tweaked my interest. He
kindly offered to lend it to me (thanks again mate) as he had a whole
new quiver of Bings to be playing with. I managed a few nice session on
it so thought something like this mightn’t be a bad idea.
Thankfully, I have a mate with skills and space who puts up with my
notions/ramblings but for how much more after this one we’ll have to
wait and see. Check out his site, www.aorsurfboards.com Good bloke and
makes some of the nicest toys you can get your hands on. Any way, I
digress and I have a lot of ground to cover.
When I decided I was going to go ahead with this (and convinced Al to
let me lose in his shed as it was WAY to big to try fit it mine) I
started looking into materials. First and foremost was a blank and as
anyone who knows me will agree, things can never be simple. Had to be
triple stringer with a larger center and half sized side runners. I
contacted a few company’s and got quoted silly money (€400+) now I have
very very limited shaping experience and the thought of blowing that
kind of money on something that I was quite likely to make an absolute
hames of was one I couldnt square off with myself.
In steps Al. Sur we’ll make it outta Eps and you can make up your
own stringers….
(Unfortunately I can’t find the the pic of the block of foam that was
needed, it was some sight, 2ftx4ftx12ft)
Ah sur it’ll be easy he say’s. If you have skills, everything is
easy. I am self confessed incompetent and every step probably took me
twice as long. It may be a cold day in hell before I go making stringers
any time soon.
(the stingers are red cedar one inch center and half inch runners)
The man himself, eying it up.
In retrospect, €400 is pretty cheap for a blank……
While the blank was setting I templated the inspiration.
Once things were set, outlined and cut the plan shape and spent way too
long having to clean up my handy work.
Then the fun began and its time for a little confession. Personally I
feel every surfer should at least once, make their own board. The
experience of catching a wave on something you’ve made for yourself is
one that every surfer should feel. That and it will give you so much
more appreciation for every board you will ever ride and never again
will you feel a board is “too” expensive.
(seriously, for the hours involved, these people are really only doing
for the love of it)
Now if your going to make a board with no shaping experience then the
logical thing it too pick something simple. Elven and a half foot of
rail line is not simple. Add to that that I have a surfboard fetish and
stress the small stuff, I tormented myself in the shaping of this. Id
walk away for months at a time, come back do a few bits and walk away
again in disgust with myself. More times then Id care to mention, it was
been cut in half to make a sensibly sized board. I think the only
reason it got finished was Al and Frank just taking the piss out of me
for taking so long.
(all the photos so far were shot just shy of a year ago……sorry again
Al)
Any way, heres a shaping shot. If your thinking about it, do it, even
if it turns out to be a wonkey donkey you’ll still have done it and
you’ll catch some of the best waves of your life on it.
“no its fine, just get it outta my shaping bay”
Thats me hiding behind it and im give or take 6’2’’ ish.
First shot of the final shape
As Id gone with eps I had to seal the blank.
These last three shots are complete over kill as sealing the blank is
a very similar experience to watching paint dry but the moment I pulled
off that tape Id started to feel the love for the whole thing again.
Cedar is just the nicest wood for surfboards.
Next was glassing. I was thinking of four layers of four ounce and a
pretty full on deck patch and three layers on the bottom with again a
pretty full on fin patch. Sitting here now after hauling it up and down a
very large cliff. Im glad I listened to the boss and went three and
three.
It was too big to fit in the glassing bay comfortably so the poach area
got sheeted off as a substitute.
I told you cedar was pretty.
Now I know, leashes are for dogs but damn it im lazy and my swimming
sucks and yeah Im soft.
At least its not a plug.
There was so much interest from some lowlifes Al had to get CCtv
installed just to make sure that the board wasnt tampered with….
It was about now I was getting excited.
Everyone seen apocalypse now redux? Brando said it best, “the sanding,
the sanding……”
Know how I said everyone should shape a board, screw glassing it. If
you have masochistic tendency’s go for it. Days, and I mean days of
sanding. Notice how I look like a broken man….
About half way through, ran out of gloss. Not really the best
position to be in but what can you do.
Gloss does make for some pretty pics though.
Now from the beginning when I was just starting to think about this
board there was always one wave on my mind. An uber secret, mysto right
hand point that just keeps giving and giving and wouldnt you know it,
all week the charts were shaping up. These pic are of the as yet (3
sessions so far) unsanded gloss coat. I know, I will sand it, sand
bottoms been faster and all that jazz but I just had to surf it.
Im sitting here now late on a Saturday night and putting it mildly, Im
full of the joy of stoke, (and a damn fine cotes to rhone, kudos Mossy)
Her first session was on the mysto reef id been dreaming about surfing
it on for nearly a year and it was a bit of a mixed bag. A bit busy and I
had a fear on me. I wasnt sure would it even hold a line and with the
odd o/h sets I had myself convinced it would spear someone if I lost
control. Well, hold a line she does, she’ll pull speed from no where
and bottom turn as long as your legs can hold but I must have provided
entertainment for the entire line up. For every one I made, I went
straight over the handlebars on two. The second session was the dawnie
this morning and had it been my first session on it, she would have been
written off as a dog and never surfed again but them are the breaks,
you win some you lose some. I came back for the evening glass off and
was rewarded for my trouble, small and glassy but she just went. A big
thanks to Pete who got these next two pics for me tonight and at least
half the pics as you just scrolled down through (and for keeping me
company up and down the road)
A absolutely HUGE kudos has to go out to Alan O Riordan of
www.aorsurfboards.com for the shed, the time, the patience, guidance and
the perseverance to get me to pull my tumb outta my ass. Shortboard,
fish, alaia or log, give the man a shout.
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