Giving it Away

Confessions… I know a bunch of surfboard building junkies have at times been overcrowded with “product”. Have you ever gone to the beach with one of those spare boards, and searched for a victim to give it to? How did you choose him/her? Or did you give it to your nephew when he drooled over one of your creations?

Noodle: The recent creations don’t hang around long but the unclaimed or forgotten ding repair jobs have certainly piled up from time to time. We have a local church that boasts not one but 3 pastors who all surf. I think this is a front for an excuse to spend more time on the beach but you gotta do what you gotta do. They manage to drive van loads of kids to the beach. Many who otherwise would never see the coast get a chance in late spring and summer months for weekend outings including a chance to experience surfing for the first time. On several occasions I’ve donated old “stock” in the form of beaters (with the previous owner’s blessing) that are water tight and ready to pile in the bus. Glad to help them out and through the years there have been a few of these kids that get interested enough to stick with it. Tom>>> Confessions… I know a bunch of surfboard building junkies have at times > been overcrowded with “product”. Have you ever gone to the beach > with one of those spare boards, and searched for a victim to give it to?>>> How did you choose him/her?>>> Or did you give it to your nephew when he drooled over one of your > creations?

Noodle:>>> The recent creations don’t hang around long but the unclaimed or forgotten > ding repair jobs have certainly piled up from time to time. We have a > local church that boasts not one but 3 pastors who all surf. I think this > is a front for an excuse to spend more time on the beach but you gotta do > what you gotta do. They manage to drive van loads of kids to the beach. > Many who otherwise would never see the coast get a chance in late spring > and summer months for weekend outings including a chance to experience > surfing for the first time. On several occasions I’ve donated old > “stock” in the form of beaters (with the previous owner’s > blessing) that are water tight and ready to pile in the bus. Glad to help > them out and through the years there have been a few of these kids that > get interested enough to stick with it.>>> Tom The Lord works in mysterious ways. Those kids are going to do something. Surfing is the best “something” I know. “Good on ya” for your help, Tom.

on several trips to the dominican republic i had the good luck to have local kids latch on as combination guide/amigo. these kids would direct me to spots they knew about, tell me which fishermen had the freshest fish, and just generally behave as if i were a visiting family member…when it came time to leave, i’d leave my surfboard and accessories with them, for them to use in my absence… of course at least a year would pass between visits, and by then the board was either a wreck, or wrecked and in the posession of some relative or friend. and then i’d leave them another one…posessions are never more ‘yours’ then at the moment you give them to someone else. thanks for reminding me!

on several trips to the dominican republic i had the good luck to have > local kids latch on as combination guide/amigo. these kids would direct me > to spots they knew about, tell me which fishermen had the freshest fish, > and just generally behave as if i were a visiting family member…when it > came time to leave, i’d leave my surfboard and accessories with them, for > them to use in my absence… of course at least a year would pass between > visits, and by then the board was either a wreck, or wrecked and in the > posession of some relative or friend. and then i’d leave them another > one…posessions are never more ‘yours’ then at the moment you give them > to someone else. thanks for reminding me! Sounds like a neat place. I gotta get me somma that.

Gave a brand new 6.0 Thruster to my Nephew that Herb sold to me for 175.00. I rode it a few times but thought my Nephew 16 would really like the surfing life, I.d pick him up and we’d go trippin! Cardiff Etc… Now the kid is 21 and the board sits on the side of the house in the weather …oh yea he doesn’t surf much anymore, I hate going over seeing it decaying away…Oh well I tried!

Gave a brand new 6.0 Thruster to my Nephew that Herb sold to me for > 175.00. I rode it a few times but thought my Nephew 16 would really like > the surfing life, I.d pick him up and we’d go trippin! Cardiff Etc… Now > the kid is 21 and the board sits on the side of the house in the weather > …oh yea he doesn’t surf much anymore, I hate going over seeing it > decaying away…Oh well I tried! It’s gotta be a heady feeling, like arriving at the big baseball game with spare tickets. …you walk over to the ticket counter like God. "…don’t want ‘fatty’ elbowing me out of my seat. hmmmm… she looks good. Wonder if my wife would mind her? HA!! So your solution would be to give the ticket to the dude who ends up “really liking football better”. How should you pick the right victim?

I’ve given lots of boards away, to my younger bro Ray(older bro Bob has never even ridden one of my boards,I guess it’s a older brother thing),and to friends as well.Once I gave a board to a close,longtime, friend(Bob"Spinner"Loos),not so much as to give him a board ,but give him,and his father,Jack Loos a recognition for being a great man of giving,and helping this "poor kid"along with rides to the beach,meals,and a unmatched friendship.Jack was dieing of cancer and I wanted him to know how much I appreciated his kindness,before he left us.I miss you Jack,and i’m sure for a fact that i’m not the only one. I think the best time I had with a give away was when I us to skate in Compton alot(lots of empty swimming pools there),and put together about 11 skateboards and handed them out to the local kids.Man!What a rush!You would have thought it was Christmas!..From that day forth I kept a saying close to my soul,“EVERYDAY is CHRISTMAS”.Herb.