Sluggo- So tell me, do you know Velzy personally? Were you around when he was doing all these infamous “misdeeds” you are telling us about? “Crook” is a pretty slanderous term. How would you like it if someone called you a crook? One thing they will NEVER call you is a master craftsman …because you will NEVER be as good a shaper as Dale Velzy not in this lifetime or any other. He may have played fast and loose at one time or another, OR those may be just stories to enhance the myth. Nevertheless, there are many master shapers out there right now who are proud to call Dale their freind – he gave a lot of people a leg up when they were down. Crook? You’re a freaking moron.
Yes my friend, and all of them have been carefully, and colorfully chronicled in The Surfer’s Journal, Longboard Magazine, and Legendary Surfers, et al. They have become the myth and lore of our sport; told, retold, exaggerated, and retold again. Somehow, to me, calling someone “a crook” shows that you have very little respect or any kind of positive regard for that person. It’s almost like you are taking some sort of personal issue with Dale Velzy! Were you really there 40 years ago? Were you around when he was giving Donald a hand? Were you there when he was grinding out boards for $8 a piece? Were you around last week when he needed some help gluing up a balsa blank?
John Perhaps your friend could contact me, directly, about this issue. The only time I try to “counsel” someone from what they have asked for, is when what they are asking for seems unrealistic. I really do not remember this particular board. But for example, if your friend said he wanted a 9’8" board and also told me that he weighed in at 225lbs. - without his wetsuit - and that he was in his late 40’s and got in the water maybe once or twice a month - then I might suggest that a 9’8" board is not realistic. Anyway . . . I have told all of the shops that carry Surfboards by Velzy, if they have a customer that has questions about ordering a board, have him call or contact me via e-mail. It’s no mysterey that they get referred to me - I ask them to make the referrals. After all of the time that I’ve worked with Dale, and all of the Velzy boards I have ridden, I probably have a bit more experience with them than most of the sales guys. And I do like to talk about Dale’s boards; who shapes them, how they are glassed, and how they ride. I know, it’s a bit corny but I enjoy being part of the process! Dale has shaped maybe fifty or so boards for me over the past 15 years. I have never been there to watch him shape any of my boards - it seemed presumptious, sort of impolite. We might do the plan shape together and discuss some of the particulars I had in mind but then I just let him alone to do what he does best. Most of the time he was right on. And then once in a while, he just missed it entirely and I’d be on the phone to Clark Foam! Regarding shaping machines. If we did not have this technology available, we would lose all of Dale’s designs . . . and we would all lose! Anyone can duplicate his templates. But to duplicate the subtlety of his rocker, rail, and bottom countours takes much more sophictated equipment than a soft pencil and a door skin. In 1998, Dale and I were discussing making plugs for KKL - he said, “We might as well make them now, I won’t be here forever!” I am personally very grateful that not only was this technolgy developed but also that Dale accepted it. Trust me, Dale is masterful with a powerplane, but computers are definitely not one of his strong points. It took me a year to convince him! Another issue that seems never to get brought up in all of this indignation about the shaping machines . . . and the Surf Tech boards . . . is that very few of the shapers that we turn to for our boards have any sort of retrirement plan, no 401K’s for them; they shape, they get paid. Being able to create boards via the shaping machine or through having a few moulded boards is Dale’s only residual. I might add, that boards that are roughed out by a shaping machine, still need an experienced hand to finish them. Dale went through several shapers before deciding that Jim Phillips and Tommy Maus were not only capable but also trustworthy to finish his boards. I think it was one the hardest things for Dale to accept - that in his mid 70’s, he just can’t work that hard any more. I apologize - this was a bit of a ramble. Someday I should put all of this stuff in a book. If there are anymore questions or comments, or if your friend would like to talk to me, just give me a holler. Barry - The Velzy Guy
You say you mean no disrespect, but that hes a crook. Hes fascinating and you like him, but dont trust him. or maybe- You really do mean disrespect, and he isnt such a crook? Hes fascinating, so you dislike him, and he doesnt trust you?
The shop was in San Luis Obispo, Ca. The year was '92-3. I could give you my friend’s name but he sold the board a long time ago so it wouldn’t really matter at this point. He doesn’t weigh anywhere near 200, much less 225. A sleek 9’8" is not a tanker 10’4". We are both over it… I just brought it up as another example of how difficult it is, even when placing a custom order, to get what you want by the shaper you expect. I seem to remember a frequent contributor to this site (who has a LOT of credibility) claiming to have shaped a balsa Velzy Malibu Chip… I have changed the name on his post here to “Mr. X” to avoid dragging him into this. I don’t know who really shaped my friend’s board or any other board, regardless of the label, unless I see it shaped. If you weren’t there in person to see it shaped, can you positively verify it’s pedigree? I’m just calling it like I see it. Re: “Mr X” Shaping Film “Mr X” - Saturday, 29 June 2002, at 10:46 a.m. The majority of you have hit the nail on the head. If I never see a dime from this project, my life will continue as usual. Each day of my life is like being Santa Claus head elf at the toy factory. Where do I start next? Will it be the Hobie balsa board, or the balsa Velzy Malibu Chip. A 5’11" single wing swallow, 11’4" tri performance, fiber glass body board. I watched the Jaws video at Kealani’s in Oceanside with my son and there was Laird and Derrick on the balsa tow ins that I had made for Brewer. How could I want anything more? Money would be nice, but life in it’s self is such a reward.
When a wealthy patron buys a fine painting, such as a Van Gogh, Degas, Rembrandt or Picasso, it must be authenticated as having been created by the original artist, the same as whose signature it bears. If it is discovered to have been painted by anyone else, no matter how skillful an artist, that painting is forever called a forgery. It is more difficult to find an entrepreneur with integrity, than 1000 magic noseriders.
Dude, the accuracy of a CNC machine far surpasses that of even the most skilled shaper. regards, Håvard
Chris, Yes I know Dale, and I guess my definition for crook might be different than yours. I deal with a lot of people in business that I like as people but in business I don’t trust at all. I like Dale, I just don’t trust him, and I am justified in this. I know that he is a lot of peoples hero’s so I probably pissed some of you off, oh well. Yes he is a great craftsman, but again a lot of his legend is from the crap he pulled on customers over the years. Barry is a person I respect very much and has done the surf community a great service in working as Dale’s middleman. He has much more patience than I will ever have. Barry could definately write an interesting book. Sluggo
how many of you out there chose to make your own boards because of incidents similar to john’s? i know the answer- so how many of you actually ‘tried out’ for the big leagues and never made it? i believe that if you did get a job in a major label’s factory, i doubt most of these posts would have even appeared. sometimes, you guys make me want to puke.
I’m sorry to hear about your friends Velzy, obviously NOT one of the ones I had a hand in. No blown out stringers or gouges, the very large ones that come to me, have scaled up rails, so I plane them to be a sleeker version more like a nine footer, rather than a barge-omatic, throwback to the fifties.
I had a completely different outcome when I ordered a “custom” board from Barry and Dale. I had the opportunity to see Barry’s personal boards just back from Makaha – beautiful 11’ x 24" pintails, high-performance and classic models. Through emails with Barry, I ordered a similar board from a local surfshop. Communications were great, details worked out with Barry’s help, and I was even given a say in the selection of the blank. The board was of course not shaped by Dale, but by one of the best production shapers in southern California; the glassing was perfect (the pinlines are superb); and the board was exactly what I ordered. I love my Velzy. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Dale. I think we should allow him at his age to market his designs with Barry’s help. Rory
There is a shapers tree in Dales tack room, going back to the forties. The names on it are the creme de la creme, many still in the industry. I you learned from Dale, you got a real shaping education, for life. The father of the modern surfboard
Yater does a few customs by hand,but most of the boards they put out are machined shaped.saves him a lot of time…
I’ll second all that. I have a board that’s called The Point Break that, damn it, has to be one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen - of anything. We talked about a board for me for weeks until I ordered. Sometimes I made the process dang painful (I’m sure you’ve all had “me” as a customer) but I got a dream board. I’m not going to ghost post here - I work for Barry but ya know, I do so because of the things he, Dale and Jim bring to the table: incredible surf boards an endless amount of knowledge and a good time had by all. Always a consummate waterman, designer and gentleman. Thank you Barry. Jim, From the desk (wall actually) of Dale Velzy: 
It’s been a while since I acutally looked at that and I don’t know who put that together for Dale but I just noticed that Donald and Renny are missing. I really wouldn’t be complete with out those guys.
A couple of years back I was at noosa in a board shop. Talking to the dude in the shop. We were talking about boards and he voiced his disrespect for backyarders and how they take the bread out of his family’s mouth . Right behind him is half a dozen of these taiwan imports made by machines. Couldn’t they keep the work locally share it around the local boys ,probably on consignment,create jobs locally and keep the surfboard industry more personal.
Velzy is the king of it all.He is the true master template for the surfing lifestyle.I would love to meet the guy. R.B.
Hey…where is the rest of the tree??? Seriously. Dave has a point. The first time I saw a board rapped with plastic and with glossy literature I said, “OK, thery are finally getting to the point of mass production and admitting it.” I feel mass produced baods should have a logo but could perhaps leave out the signature unleess in is a signature model. Example: A basebal glove has a pro players’s signature… But a board shouldn’t have the shaper’s name unless he shaped it. A Slater model can have Slater’s signature etc, but to have a shaper sign it as if he shaped it just doesn’t sit well with me. Signatures originated in the concept of an artists signature or a dedication such as shaped for tim from John… Logos are a different story. Every Ford has a Ford Logo, but doesn’t have a Henry Ford signature…
I learned from my last custom longboard and shortboard that I need to shut up and let the shaper do the work (and especially the thinking). I ordered a shorboard, 6,7 tri fin, and told him I wanted a modern shortboard. That said, he took in my weight, knew how well (or unwell) I surf, and made the board. When I picked it up I thought, “no way. This thing is too light and small. It’ll never float me.” I put off riding that board for two weeks, knowing that it wouldn’t float me and therfore wouldn’t catch waves, and if it did catch waves it would bog. NOT TRUE. The board is the best shortboard I have ever owned. I pull off moves I couldn’t do when I was twenty, and all I said was that I wanted a modern shortboard. He knew exactly what to do (32 years of shaping will do that). But then there was the longboard. I wanted a ten foot noserider. I should have left it at that. He told me to bring the deposit and he would take care of it (He already knew my weight and abilities). BUT NOOOOOOOOO. I had to stick my spoon in the pot and screw it all up. First, I ordered the blank myself. He told me, “I wish you hadn’t done that, but bring it in. I’ll see what I can do.” I ordered it with less nose rocker and my shaper asked me, “What about tail rocker?” I said, “what?” Still he told me to bring it in and he would see what he could do with it. When he found out that I ordered the most dense foam imaginable (trying to get that classic feel) he said, “Why did you do that? It’s gonna be heavy.” He was right, and when I finally brought the blank to him, he was gracious. Looking back on it, he should have told me to shape it myself since I already did 30% of it. Then I asked for fifty-fifty rails. He said that because of the way I had the blank made I should probably avoid fifty-fifty rails. But I insisted and he went to work. A week later he had it finished, glass and all. When I looked at it, it was the most amazing board I had ever owned. Then I took it surfing. IT RODE LIKE CRAP! It paddled like crap, caught waves like crap, and could noseride about as well as a 300 pound man on a 5,2 shortboard. I was bummed. I took it out three more times. Each time I was more discouraged. Finally, I put it on EBAY and got fifty bucks less than what I paid. The moral of the story: If you think you know more than your shaper, then you must be a better shaper than him. Otherwise, let him do the thinking. So on my next board, I am only going to specify tail (pin or squash). I haven’t decided that yet, but everything else I will leave up to him.