Jim Phillips

General Discussion
1

Can you guys give me some info on Jim Phillips. I’ve been checking the archives and I keep on reading such good things about him. He sounds like a true master. I’ve only seen one or two of his shapes. I’m from Long Island and I know he has an east coast background. I was looking for a new longboard so I figured I’d gather some info on him. If anyone has pics to post that would be great.

2

Yahoo and type:

jim phillips surfboards

Best,

Herb

3

Thanks Herb I did that and couldn’t find much info. His website just had his contact info. No pictures or anything.

4

Try the shapers tree.com, there may be more info there.

5

Pictures are just that and anything looks good in a photo. You need to be able to feel one in your hands, look down it see the absence of bumps and twists. I have boards in Rhode Island at Gansett Juice and Wave Jammer in Toms River, NJ

6

Hey Jim,

When it comes to pictures you nailed it.

Do you have any boards in Santa Cruz?

Mahalo, Rich

7

Coming to your area soon Rich.

8

Where will they be?

9

Surfore, were you along on the photo op on the Eastside? I heard waves were good…

10

Jim

I called Gansett Juice and they only have one board and the kid at Wavejammer in NJ wasn’t that helpful. I live on LI and I cant just drive up to RI on a whim. Im really interested in seeing some of your boards what should I do?

11

sandflea - I know your frustration. As I’ve written previously here, guys in California and Hawaii do not realize how good they have it - complete and easy access to the best shapers and marques. The surfing industry is pretty much in their backyard. They can see and touch boards and speak face-to-face with many of the most accomplished shapers quite readily.

Meanwhile East Coasters (except for those in Brevard County, Florida) have a very limited selection of boards here and always priced higher than in CA. Many of the surf shop employees would do well to spend some time reading posts on Swaylocks, Longboard.net and Surfermag.com design forum. These employees generally provide zero useful data or guidance/advice in board selection or performance characteristics.

Don’t even get me started on the expense and potential damge to boards shipped from CA or HA.

There is exactly one Jim Phillips at Gansett Juice in RI (there are closets larger than that shop). Warm Winds and Elements over in Newport have a greater selection but not Phillips. And yes the help at Wave Runner here in NJ leaves at lot to be desired I think RightCoast in Seaside Heights may carry Phillips but again 1 or 2 may be in stock, if your lucky. For the most part the staffs in Northeast surf shops are there to sell clothes, Oakley sunglasses and you the wrong board. Of course there are exceptions to the rule.

I guess the shapers have enough business in CA and HA. Supplying EC surfshops or having a great website to order boards along with reasonable and safe shipping is not a priorty nor a concern. Oh well YMMV…

John

12

This is one of the reasons it is so hard to deal coast to coast. I shipped boards to Fla. recently, all customs. The first 2 customers got their boards, super stoked, rode bitchin. The 3rd guy say he is an old pal of mine , manages to get them to let him walk with the board without paying first. I get an e-mail from the guy saying it isn’t what he expected and is willing to pay only 500$ for it. My reply was get it back to the shop NOW, I will not be held hostage by anyone. Freight, packing, and all the rest, what a pain in the butt. Next action attorney

13

I’m in RI now, but grew up in Jersey. Warm Winds in Narragansett, RI has Jim’s boards off and on, I’m not sure what owner Tom Hogan has there at the moment. I think I’ve also see some of Jim’s boards at Brave New World in Pt. Pleasant, NJ.

My very first board was a Jim Philips. I bought it used in '72 on the Jersey Shore ($50 perfect condition … those were the days). It was an eggy 5’4" single, red with a white deck. Great board, built like a tank. Wish I had it back.

14

Jim it’s just frustrating because it seems that all the shops around here carry the same boards. The only way to see different boards is through others and the internet. I was just curious to see some of the boards you have shaped because I’ve heard so much about them. I’ve been looking for a new longboard for the east coast and I wanted to check some of your boards out but I couldn’t find them anywhere. The only boards I have ever seen that you shaped were the few that are in the swaylock archives.

Thanks