After going back and forth on what makes sense for a first attempt at shaping I decided to try to do something close to boards I’ve ridden and owned (I was gonna shape a short disc but I’ve never had one!)…
At any rate, I have a 7’4" Velzy egg that I don’t like to surf too often cause it’s logged a number of dings. At any rate, I don’t want to try to replicate it per-se, but I do want to shape a board that I can use in similar conditions. It’s an egg that works reaaally well in chest high clean surf.
The other board I wanted to use for inspiration was the board Wayne rides in evolution. I found someone on swaylocks saying it was 7’11" 17x22x17 and really thin, with a wide point pulled back 6 inches.
Essentially, what I’m thinking is something in between the two. 7’6-7’8, a bit chippier than my velzy, really low rocker except for the nose kick, and a pulled back wide point.
If anyone has blank suggestions, that would be helpful. I’m mostly nervous about rocker, it looks like most of the boards in this size range have more than I’m looking for and I don’t have a good sense yet of how easy it will be to adjust. Also, if anyone has specific suggestions about double-ender eggs of this type, I’d love to hear them.
You can use the 7’11R, it will net out a 7’9 3/4" exactly if you use every inch of the board. It has a nice rocker already built into it. Just skin it and turn the rails. Or if you want something flater, use the 8’4R and start the shape in the middle of the blank.
On your first shape you’ll be fighting all sorts of shit, rail profile, bottom twists, lopsided template. Best bet is the 7’11R and use the rocker it has. Make it a Tri fin, make it any shape you want, copy the Evolution or whatever. I wouldn’t go over 21 wide for chest high plus surf. I’d do more like 7’8" x 13 x 20.75 x 13.5 x 2.85 Put the fins at 3.5 & 12 from tail. set at 1 in off the rail, with 3/16 toe. Modern tucked low rails, coming off a semi domed deck. Take all the volume off the board out of the bottom, If you really get cocky, push the tail rocker up from the bottom in the last 16 inches of board. Try that for you first board, and tweek it from there. Oh one more thing, it’s ok to thin out the nose and tail, You’d be amazed how thin you can get it and it still looks thick and chunky when you glass it.
and look at the blank descriptions to help you pick one. The good thing about the close tolerance blanks is if you’re worried about doing the rocker, just skin the bottom and leave the natural rocker in the blank like ResinHead was talking about.
I did your Velzy egg, I always felt it was overly floaty of a design, shortly before Dale’s death we re-did the model, reflecting on a more modern shape, thinner and not so full.
Eggs are not nose riders, so they don’t need really wide noses, just something to catch waves easier and ride further, with a performance aspect thrown in. I would go for the 7’9"E, as it has a lot less rocker than the R series
That’s nuts that you shaped his eggs. This one was a custom order (not for me, I bought it used). Would you have shaped the customs as well? I was always surprised by the bulk and shape of the nose in that board, especially since the tail was so modern in comparison. I would have loved to have tried one of the newer models. Out of curiousity, how did you fin the eggs? I think I have a 9" Velzy flex fin in there now, but it didn’t come with the board.
Thanks all for the advice. I think I’ll take ResinHead’s suggestion to pick a blank and just use it’s rocker for now… I’m sure he’s right about all of the other components I’ll be fighting.
Ms. Actress, for the last 10 years I did nearly all the Velzy’s. There were the ones that people came to his house and he, in his carnival barker fashion, would craft them a board.He took exceptional pride in his wood boards and only rarely did he call on me to do those. It was when his health started failing faster that he needed me to do those. When orders from Japan came in, usually an order of more than a hundred boards, his old pal Ralph Parker would come on board and help get those moving.
But for the general customs, I did those by the thousands and with the pride of doing shapes that I and Dale would be proud of, even if his signature went on each one
Woah. Weird to see this post bumped… For the record, this project still hasn’t gotten off the ground.
pcinsc - Mine has a single-fin box. I’ve found it really comes alive in clean chest to head high point surf… I use a 9" true-ames velzy flex fin. It’s an especially useful board when the tide is really high. I ride it at my longboard spots when the surf get 3foot+. The length and flip in the nose lets you take off in just about anything.
Yes, I’m a good sway-tizen and checked the archives first. My concern is that there’s something to the shape in that area that is specific to a thruster setup that would get wierd with a single fin. I’ll guess it’s not really but when Jim Phillips was participating I figured just ask and hope he answers.