Mandala surfboards...

General Discussion
21

before i get started, this is not directed at mr wells, or anyone on this forum. however…

a little background first:

i don’t know mandala. i did work in the channin factory where pavel has his shaping bay. i am now in brazil, and breaking out on my own.

when i started working in the factory, the hot coater/fin guy had just walked out, with no notice of course. they had a stack of about 75 logs waiting for all their clients, because he was slacking before he quit. add to the longboards, rainbows retro boards, the occassional shortboard, and pavel’s load, the shop was jammed. and that didn’t stop the orders from coming in. now, i dont want this to sound like it is the glasser that is holding up everything, but one thing we all need to understand is unless you are a ‘one stop shop’ doing it all, you have to depend on others. in our industry, we have to deal with all types of ego’s. we are surfers right? and when there’s waves, or a good party, we’re gone.

secondly, when you produce a quality product, it takes time. sure, it is best to line up all your work in a production type system, but you cant exactly do 7 color lams like you can hotcoats. not to mention, if you don’t use a shaping machine, it takes a little while to shape the blank itself. i have made a board in a day, blank to polish. but that was one board. when you look at the timeframes for multiples, it adds up quickly.

i am finding myself in a similar situation here in brazil. am i supposed to turn the work away? of course not. i have a wife, and bills to pay. however, the only ethical way i see to handle it, is to be honest. if someone wants a board from me today, it will be up to 6 weeks before its ready. for one, i have to order the blank. fish aren’t easily made from any old blank. tick tick tick… off and running.

not returning your calls, well that’s lame. maybe he’s on vacation, or injured. if not, well that’s just bad business.

i hope this helps, and good luck.

22

Dale

Always difficult to know wether to critisize in a public forum.I don’t think I am bad mouthing Manuel. I think my experience of ordering a Mandala board is as valid to this discussion as anyone elses. Compared to the overwhelming praise given to manuel perhaps a little bit of bad experience gives a more balance view.

Interesting that you should assume that I would be happy to jump the waiting list to the detriment of another.I suggest that that says more about the way you approach life that it does about me.

23

I did not assume anything. I merely asked you a question.

So you wouldn’t be stoked if Manuel had finished your board ahead of schedule?

Threads like this illustrate one of an experienced artisan’s greatest challenges: countering the idea that lowest common quality is good enough.

24

dale

No what you asked was would I be happy if manuel finished my

Quote:

board ahead of someone else’s order

The answer is no. Why would I think I deserve a board faster than anyone else? Why would I think it was ok to have a board to the detriment of another surfer? Perhaps its is a very British thing to wait patiently in line.

25

the stages.

.the kuk stages are somthing to survive.

the I know ship attitude achieved when a goon can do the simian squat turn.

the ‘’ ''displayed when the limping aardvark tube squat dynamoshows up at the malt shop talking about 15 foot surf during a twomonth flat spell.

apeak is when jesus einstein shows up at the counter at gee whiz is phil edwards home surf shop and pays full price for a hot board that at best will be ridden wrong

at wthe wrong spots

on the wrong days

good grief charlie brown

that can feel good when you sceam it aloud in a ceramic tiled toilet house

GOOD GRIEF CHARLIE BROWN

not that this has anything to do with the problemo…

I have one friend I have been helping to understand

what turning is.

he is the most enthusiastic straight off adolph

stick man ever

its refreshing to warm one’self on that enthusiasm

but soon he will go into his menace to society phase

to be seen in his company wiil be detremental

to years of respect grooming

back to the great mandala-the wheel of life

place your self on the great mandala

chum

this assumed attitude

I HAVE BEEN WRONGED

THE MAN HAS THE AUDACITY

AND MY BOARD,PAID FOR WITH THE SWEAT AND BLOOD

OF THE GREATEST ORGANISM EVER,ME

HAS BEEN SPENT,ALONG WITH MY PATIENCE

I HEREBY DE CRY MY ANGST

CAN I GET A YEOMAN TO SCRIBE MY COMPLAINT TO THE KING?

this is also a KUK STAGE.

how do yoou ever think shapers are generated?

they come from the ooze spontaneously?

nope !

we are all dissatisfied

disgruntled

whining crybabies that suck it up and make the damn surfboards ourselves.

that kae kesy quote…

you are on the bus or you are off the bus.

you wanna drive get a bus

you wanna ride shut up and sit down

AMICABLE SOLUTION;order the greatest board ever

then go buy the stuff to make it yourself

its a race!!!

THE RACE IS ON

make yours faster than any man alive

and ride it for a year and a half

the one you order comes and …

its so much better than the crooked pice of bird spew you made

you praise the charisma of dirk distiller with the rest of the magpies at the peir who shoot dope together …OR…

you light the charisma on fire hang it from a rafter as the last pice o’ chunk you will ever ride you dont make your self…

the funny thing is everyone will be happier that you live through this kook stage and get on with your llife progression.

surfing is cool

a heated attitude aint cool

go surfin’ be cool

or maybe a nice alchohol fuel dragster is a better choice

for one’s interests on saturdays off from the coal mine

…ambrose…

26

I guess I’m wondering how you know so much about Manny’s business. Even if your order was completed in a timely manner, how would you know it WASN’T finished ahead of someone else’s?

Some things are worth waiting for, regardless. No one is perfect. And likely if you had waited for your Mandala you’d be very pleased. Nothing is gained by cutting off nose to spite one’s face.

27

Making customers wait plays up the mystic factor. The fish is one of the easiest boards to shape, you spend more time foiling in the stringer and deep swallow than you would to shape the entire board. Honestly, after looking at a few of Manny’s shape there is nothing special about the boards, atleast nothing an expereinced shaper and glasser can produce just about anywhere.

Honestly, how many boards do you need to be back ordered and be 5 months out. I doubt he has that many back orders, and to have time to take a long surf trip on your dime. Honestly, someone is lagging or jerking you off and taking their damn sweet time. Or using your deposit for something else.

What I find comical is the “hype wagon” associated with some of these fly by labels. Only to find out the guys a slacker or doesn’t have an idea or consideration for the customer.

From my experience all these guys always fade away only owing debt to glassers and suppliers, only to pop up somewhere else to start again always looking behind their back.

Not to be incinuating Manny is this type of shaper, but come on.

29
Quote:

Hi, i think Manny is in Indonesia right now, so try to call/write him in some time.

His boards are worth every penny and a long wait.

Good waves!

Coque

Nope- I saw him surfing in Santa Cruz just yesterday. -Carl

30
Quote:

Howzit?!? It’s kind of funny to me that all you knuckleheads have waited over 30 years to get on the fish program. Why cry about waiting a few months? Stevie’s design was a response to the 7’6" single fin era. A lot has happened since then. Although the design has some good points, it’s old news. Steve’s been making some nice ones over here, but when I see them they’re still looking like an old kneeboard. Yeah, Toby, I didn’t know that he ever learned how to stand up. Aloha…RH

Like I said…

31

ok, to a certain degree, i agree with what you are saying.

the fish craze is on, everywhere. the mysto cool shaper guise so often overused is also everywhere. to skin a blank, and cut a swallow tail, aint hard.

i disagree that to ‘shape’ a board - any board - is easy. i mean, if you want something to ride, yeah sure. if you want to make something that actually works, and works well, that takes a little more time. and one person doing it all (dont forget the BS-answering all the calls/questions, ordering(delays?) and maybe picking up the materials, permits?, accounting, advertising, and generally running a business) takes the most.

like i said, i don’t know mandala personally, so i can’t say he is this or that. someone said that they saw him surfing recently near his home break. that doesn’t necessariy look good. but, i know there are times i need to turn off the phone, and actually have a life. maybe shaping machines are a good thing after all?

i would love to hear Barnfields, or Jim’s or the other more established guys here input on this. i am a one man show, so my perspective may be biased. But, if i was going to order anything, even take out food, i would ask how long it was going to take, and if there is a acceptable waiting before handing over my cash.

32

Hi, i just would like to share with you an email i received from Manny long time ago when i asked him if the board i ordered from him could be ready a couple of weeks earlier than he told me, i hope he doesn’t mind if i post this in a public forum:

"Hi Coque,

Your board won’t be ready for at least another 2 months, as there are about 50

boards in front of you! I’ll be working hard to make it down my shaping list

until

then.

I know you post frequently on surfermag.com and swaylock’s, so I can’t afford to

lose orders or cause a lot of frustration with my other customers by making

yours

first to coincide with your Mutant Moon order. My apologies, but I would like

to

make boards for people who have been waiting patiently for 4 months or more…

Hang tight > Manny"

From my experience, i can only tell good things about dealing with Manny and i hope to order boards from him again.

Coque.

33

Dale

Not sure what your saying in your first paragraph but I asked Manuel to confirm about the other board and he explained why he made it.I didn’t agree with his reasons.All I can say is that I wouldn’t expect to be treated any different than any other customer.Neither preferential nor detrimental.That seems like the honourable way to behave.So I regretably canceled.I was surprised at the time with the amount of people (others on the waiting list)who said thats not right but don’t worry about it just wait it will be worth it. Seemed like they were willing to supress what they knew was right in order to get the result.Well I sure wanted those Mandalas but I wasn’t greedy enough to have them at any cost.And now another person with the same view.Also know about the pressures of small businesses so have some sympathy with having to keep so many customers happy, cash coming in etc.

Time to let it rest.Already regreting getting involved/personal but no malice intended to Manuel whose kudos is high and whose boards attract much praise. Ther are several in Wales and I always look out for them.No sightings yet.

Apologies to original poster who I believe only wanted to get hold of Manuel to order a board.

34

If he guy is up front and says it is going to be 5 months an you still go ahead with it fair enough. but if he leaves you hanging and gets bagged about it serves him right.

35

“All I can say is that I wouldn’t expect to be treated any different than any other customer. Neither preferential nor detrimental. That seems like the honourable way to behave.”

In theory you’re right, and that’s a fine ideal. But in reality, our lives seldom go the way we want them to, let alone someone else’s! Sometimes it’s better to weigh on the side of a little grace and sense of humor.

The same is true for riding a wave. A person can choose to learn from imperfection, flat spots and sections, or just kick out.

36

Pembs628,

It appears that you have already come up with a good solution to your problems,

Quote:
Go local. Work with a local shaper to get what you want.

Of course there are some cases where you don’t have much choice other than to go abroad. I don’t have much experience with international dealings. Do you often encounter difficulties with overseas transactions to the UK?

RFC Fins Thread

37
Quote:
The same is true for riding a wave. A person can choose to learn from imperfection, flat spots and sections, or just kick out.

The above is trully a nice tidbit of wisdom. I have thought that many times watching kids on their potato chip boards pumping up and down and pulling out of a wave that had way more ride left. Ever notice that most of the time it is the youthful surfers doing it because, like their lifes in general, there is so much ahead in terms of waves and life to experience that they are not all that interested in the moment unless it presents the opportunity for an X-Games-like moment?

38

it’s nice to hear that Manuel has the business in these slow times. It’s similar down hear if you are looking for the custom. Some places just back up. It’s time now to order your next board for spring.

39
Quote:

Q: What’s your turnaround time?

A: Due to the amount of custom orders I have right now, boards generally take between 4-5 months. Sanded finish boards are ready sooner, while boards with color laminations take a bit more time. Add 20% for rush orders.

It’s all there in the fine print. But read the bold print. You want it bad? That certainly could be how someone’s board gets done before yours. Wait in line, but if someone who doesn’t want to be patient but has the dough then you wait some more. How about a super rush of an additional 40%. I would have a policy of an additional 100% for rush orders. And if you want it that bad then go to the guy next door - I don’t know if I can deal with your 3 color changes :o)

It’s great that he’s generating the demand. Too bad Brom can’t shape fish or he’d have the same problem. Oh wait, he can shape the snot out of fish and he’s got boards on racks waiting for your happy little feet. We always want something we can’t have right away. It might not be your problem but I fall into that from time to time. We’re human.

It’d be nice if being a shaper were simply, la tee da, walking down to the blank store and grabbing a blank. Then returning to your shaping bay and all alone with no one there to bother you, you whip out your shapes one after another. Then you take your boards to the glass shop and they say, “gee thanks. see you in a few days” and you return in a few days to find the boards completed right on time with the rest. Life, 9-5, wife, SURF, etc…

I don’t know if this is way off topic but it seems we all forget as customers is that it costs the production shaper and glassers to surf and do things that it might not cost the customer to do. When they’re not shaping they’re not making money. No paid vacations and no health insurance - it literally costs to surf.

40

Pembs628 aka Mark Denehy: “I realize that I did lots of things wrong mainly because I was impatient.”

Damn right. You’re full of complaints. What do you think you’ll get by washing your dirty shorts in public message boards?