Brought a board I made a couple of years ago into a local shop to sell on consignment. I never really liked the board personally. Just didn’t want to part with…but I figured that someone should be riding it. Dropped iut off and asked them to get $250 for it. It’s a 10 foot longboard.
Wells, Sunday I’m in the water on some small waves and I come out and sit next to my buddies and they tell me that there’s a guy in the water with one of my boards. Seeing as how I have only made boards for friends, I knew that it had to be the person who bought the board.
Sho nuff, I look out at the break and I see a guy ripping on my board. Riding it rather well I might add.
First board I ever sold…at least to someone other than a riend of mine.
I wanted to go over and chat with him about it, but he was lying down and looked pretty comfy with his lady, so I didn’t want to interrupt him. Instead I pedalled my bike to get a chipwhich figuring maybe I can catch him a little bit later. But by the time i got back he was just about packed up for the day.
But while I was gone, one of my buddies who works in the same shop he bought the board fom, went over and talked to him for a few minutes and reprted back that the guy was really stoked on theboard.
I remember what a neat feeling it was - just a few months ago, really - to see someone else riding one of my boards. Not his, and not a stranger, just swapping boards with a buddy for a few waves.
As cool as it is to ride your own board, for some reason seeing someone else on it is even better. Like a verification of the function or something. Like we can make our boards work for ourselves through force of will alone, but when someone (who has nothing invested in it) can also make it work, its only then a true success.
Just a side story, because I was feeling good about it too: I took my 12’ veneer board out for a surf early Sunday am. Saw a friend there, a shaper with his own shop. He’s checked out my wood over EPS boards before, but this was the first time he called it “showroom quality”. That was nice. Then another guy we’re surfing with starts asking all about it. Later, in the parkign lot, he says he wants one. Shooting from the hip, I said, well, they’re $10 an inch and go up from there. He doesn’t blink, just says, can I get your number…we’ll see what happens next…
That is a cool feeling. Almost all the boards I make are for me. If I don’t like it or it isn’t an improvement I sell it on consignment at the local shop. Two weeks ago I put a fish in the store. I asked quite a bit for it. The next day I get a call from a buddy after I get home from surfn. He says, “your a legend.” I say, “Whad I do now?” He tells me not one but two guys paddled out right after I left riding two fishes I had sold including the one I put up the day before. Team Rooster. Made my day. People are starting to ask me how much to make a board. It’s a six pack plus expenses. Hold them up to a pro’s and they look like a gorilla made em. I guess the price is right.Mike