Anyone out there need a fully experienced reliable quality oriented craftsman to do boards in Argentina, Italy, NZ, OZ, Mexico, Indo, or some tropical local?
I’m open to related work using the same materials, not just surfboards. I’ve done molds, one off prototypes and many other polymer based projects over the span of decades.
I’m ready to pack it in when I turn on the news and see people having to live in tents along the Sacramento River!
So the system has beaten me…I concede. I’m willing to take my dog n pony show to Costa Rica, Panama, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece…Mars…shit, you tell me.
That last photo is the quintessential image of The Great Depression…what was so great about it?
The little houses (can’t bring myself to call them “homes”) would be described by my realtor as “cozy”, “intimate” and “close knit neighborhood”.
I have a friend that gets boards from me that works for the County of Santa Barbara and a periphery job is something to do with being on a local “Terrorism Task Force”.
I told him if things continue as they are, he will be hell bent trying to decipher which is terrorism or random acts of anarchy.
And all this coming from me…who many call ‘the eternal optimist’.
Ever thought about Chile? I lived there for 2 1/2 years back in the mid 90’s. Today the surfing is becoming popular down there. You could set up near Punto Del Lobos.
Repair dings for the traveling surfers as well as build boards for the Locals. Cost of living real cheap and the people are mellow. This was 14 years ago so I hope it’s not too late? Land is cheap.
Hang in there, sir. At least as far as the optimism part goes. Afterwards, where you decide to be optimistic is is certainly up to you. As you know, I waffle back and forth at times about living here or heading back to the States.
At times, I get fed up with the French heavy administration and such, but when I focus on my day-to-day- its a pretty good place to be. I live in a little town near Bordeaux- no crime to speak of, no hard drugs for the kids, lots of forest and a little stream to fish in. Good surf often enough to keep me going. There is board work to be done, not enough to get rich here in Gironde, but enough to get by on. Good wine, overall nice people, could be much, much worse.
I have friends back in San Diego who are telling me that its harder and harder to keep life low-key, pleasant, and to focus on the real stuff, with some kind of hope that things’ll get better. I’d love to think that they’re wrong.
Thanks to all in my moment of frustration. Huie gave me details on the scene downunder, and I also got a bite on stopping by The Azores. Chile sounds nice, and I haven’t been down that way since '79 when I hooked up with Wayo Whilar and his family in Peru. That was a great trip, scoring free tickets on AeroPeru and interviewing Carlos Dogny while staying in free digs courtesy of Senor. Piti Block.
I’m out of my funk, having received some orders last week and some emails from people I haven’t heard from in decades, that probably were playing the “whatever happened to” game and I popped up in their browser. CarpBob emailed me saying “remember me, you were the only shaper in town that would take me serious about ordering a stinger, and it turned out great…older now and want to order a funshape and SUP”.
I guess this is as good a time as any for ALL of us to look at who we are, and what we are capable of. I once read an interview profiling Sylvester Stallone (yeah, Rocky Balboa), and he said “people used to listen to me talk, and think I was stupid…I decided I would reinvent myself, so I began to read a page from the dictionary each and every day”.
YOU are the only person that can grab your boot straps and pull yourself up. I have found there is a curious mix of healthy change and nostalgia as we progress along in life. We evolve into growing families, chasing careers, and revisiting lost youth with poignancy and fondness. We shouldn’t forget to give ourselves credit for making someone a magic stick that pulls their heartstrings on any given day of riding high on canvasses of momentary blue. And sometimes those memories are so visceral, the call of the wild pulls one us back to playing in he ocean like a heathen in the sun, without a care or concern for a world that has gone digital, or a fat bottom line from pilfering someone’s hard earned savings on some ponzi scheme.
How many boards did I shape that are attached to surfer’s memories that made that day a great day? A great turn or cutback? A great memory?
I guess it’s okay to give yourself some credit and move through the rollercoaster ride called LIFE.
Welcome back, Dead Shaper. Pleased to hear that you’re back in the saddle, so to speak. Strange times breed some unusual musings, but it sounds like you’ve about nailed it down. Stoked for you.
It would be great to move to another country and start “doing well” whatever doing well means for that individual. The problem is that the economy sucks all over the World, not much better some other place? Were in a Global down turn.
Stay here where you loved, the New Zealand guys show up at your door step, kill you and eat your babies.
My brother just got a job making prosthetic limbs. He had to move to Oklahoma, but they just got a government grant. They have money to spend. The healthcare industry is booming right now.
High end aircraft parts are subcontracted.
Custom automotive or motorcycle parts.
Whether you go out on your own or work for someone else there are so many industries that work in composite materials that pay far better than surfboards.
A true master of his craft can make opportunities. Good luck to all those suffering.
Well now, thanks and right on to all of you. I don’t have any babies for Maoris to eat so I’d be fine in NZ…not much pay and hungry too? Sounds like a diet. Reminds me of when I started urchin diving…figured I may as well get paid for losing weight.
The prosthtic thing is cool but I’ve been to Oklahoma…nice folks but a little too BB (Bible Belt) for me. The company would have to promise a wave pool. I’ve actually done some work on planes trains (er, boats) and automobiles…John Candy wasn’t there.
I guess the problem is the word J-O-B…veruss career. I think after all these years my career picked me. I remember at the height of the windsurfing decade, when…yes, I was making very good $, my diver friend said “you know, we have REAL jobs, and everyone else has REGULAR jobs…we are the lucky ones”!
Maybe Barrack has some coin he can throw my way for ‘start your own business’ incentive. It would be better to let me have at it than Madoff.
