Folk’s - yrs back I was given a mystery board I knew nothing about really. The said board, was a - William-Dennis surfboard I got from my sister’s childhood friend from Ventura cali…anyway, I thought it I measured it at 6’10" x 22 1/2" wide? I recall it had a pretty flat rocker, maybe a little kicked up tail? Pancake thin rails, and a rounded squash tail. It clearly had a rolled bottom, maybe even convex!? Anyway, on my last session on it, I caught about twenty waves! And I could not believe I was literally taking it to it’s limits…the board made each wave to the very end. I doubt I could ever recreate it as it had old style setup I’m not aware of…we called it ‘mini long board’, but I always thought it was a eqq thing? We think it was 7’2" x 22 1/2"? Thickness under 2 5/8", but I am not sure. It also had what almost looked like a Greenough flex fin…if anyone could help me out here I would be real stoked! I just want relive sum memories.worst thing of all is, it got stolen out of my backyard:(. - Jim
Ps: the plan is to build this next! Also, I’ll take what I can get. Template, measurements , or whatever it takes to replace a beloved surfboard that literally vanished in thin air…
Thanks guy’s. I think I might get close enough, but I’m trying to figure out if the board was a full on convex bottom, or it just had a little roll? Anyway, I couldn’t read signature as to who shaped it? It did look like a potato chip, or pancake. I am geussing 4" nose rocker, maybe 1 1/2" tail rocker? Pinched 50/50s, but possibly 60/40s? That board was not super loose, but was plain functional.it was a board designed for ‘fun surfing’, and down the line rides…ill run a search to see if I can find anything about the rails…I think the coolest thing about it, was the fact it was wafer thin and flatter rockered…fun! That sums it up.
I did some research of my beloved board that ended up stolen…well, I think maybe it could have been- Dennis Ryder’s personal board? Anyway, I read at his site he started shaping 7’2" mini long boards- which were egg/Stubby designs influenced by-Greenoughs designs etc…then the gal who gave me the board was" Pier Pont Rat “out of Ventura cali…anyway, the gal rarely surfs now, and is my sister’s childhood friend . She kept telling me about “the potato chip” as she called it…then her and I went surfing at my own spots…then one day she came up north, and said, “Jim I brought the potato chip!” I’m like -HUH!? She hands it to me and says let’s go surf spot you told me about…so I rode it, and noticed a very functional style of surfing that I wasn’t used to…it was carvy, fast, and fluid surfing…I started catching way more waves, I could knee paddle it also…but I didnt.anyway, I had a phenomenal session on it, and I said cool board!It was rreally fun! She goes, " Jimmy you can borrow it.” I was like -cool! Ok…two mos go by, and I’m taking it out more than my psb! And I call her out of curiosity as to when she might want it back…then she says, “Jim it’s yours- you can keep it.” I’m like, what? Are you sure about that? She says yeah, I gotta new board you can have it. Man, I can’t tell you how excited I was getting a remnant of history …here I was with a board all yellowed, but structurally sound…here I was surfing a board from possibly 1973! And geuss what! It definitely had a mid toned red Greenough type flex fin!!!
Don’t know if you looked at the link I gave or not, but they feature a few of those hull type shapes he talks about (see pics below). Dennis has got pics and verbal descriptions on his blog site too, if you go through his archives.
Huck- I think Dennis must have shaped the 7’2" I once owned! The first and second pics you show - look a LOT like my board. Huck - I found a pic of a board that had a similar bottom shape & rails to what I had here.
Anyway, I can’t say for sure who shaped it. I do recall it had one or two logos on deck (length wise), maybe two large black logos across from each other length wise.
Huck - if you want a good fun board that is stable, floatie, fun and performance oriented this thing did it all…
Actually, the second pic from top - looks a lot like my board! It’ll be a tough build as I was born in that era…so I don’t know how they set em up? I am hoping like hell that someone might give me some clues… off the top of my head, I think wp might have been forward center 2-3"? It did have a bit of tail rocker…bottom was “dished” out as if a bottom of a plate almost…similar to the pic I found…
Jim, I’ve got an 8-4 with a lot of similarities, but a bit different planshape.
Its got full on belly in the nose, with pinched knifey rails in the front 2/3. Then down rails in the tail, with a bit of V. Relaxed rocker. Old school single fin. A guy I used to work with would really rag on it, say it looks like it came from the 70’s, not modern rails, etc, but its a blast! Have even had some positive comments from guys who saw me riding it during a swell, one guy told me he’d let me ride his Greg Liddle if I let him ride it. I said next time, since I was already leaving, but haven’t seen him since.
The belly / pinched rails is a very different feel. You’re going fast, but you feel really solidly tracked on the wave face. I mean to say, the faster the section, the more you notice how solid it feels, like you’re on a track almost.
Only reason I don’t ride it more is that I’ve gone to higher volume, thicker boards lately. But when we get a bit of swell (doesn’t have to be big, just likes about a 4’ wave), I’ll be dusting it off and waxing up!
BTW, sorry about the stuff you went thru, glad you got back on a positive track with your life, surfing and shaping is a great focus in life, if you can avoid letting the negative stuff drag you down.
Like most of us, I’ve been thru, and am going thru, some poo also. Here’s what has helped me - I have lowered my expectations, just go out for a few good waves in the dawn patrol most days, don’t try to be a ripper, and try to focus on all the other good stuff, like a curious otter, a regal dolphin, a diving gull, a friendly word in the parking lot. Paddle out at 6, out of the water by 8, usually.
I work at not losing my stoke, and I try not to infringe on anyone else’s either. Occasionally I have had a few words with someone (negative), but for the most part I really try to keep every session on a positive, even if they snake me, I just paddle back out and wait for another, almost never say anything.
If I’ve had a few waves, and I get a good set wave, I’ll ride it all the way in to the beach, and get out. Figure that’s probably gonna be as good as it gets for my morning session, let the other guys take the rest. Its helped me stay stoked and just have fun, while surfing the most crowded stressful beaches in the north L.A. county area, where I work most days.
When it comes to swaylocks, I really try to avoid direct confrontation. If someone puts down something I posted, I’ll try to make a joke about it, or just agree with them. Sometimes I can’t agree, but I really make an effort to avoid getting into a pissing match (name-calling), always a no-win situation when it happens, and it can happen to anybody! You gotta have a game plan, man! Keeping it positive for yourself, regardless of what anybody else is saying.
Looking forward to finished (glassed) pics of your latest, and pics of the hull when you shape it.
the board looked like a typical Egg shape, but had a square tail w rounded corners on the tail block… I checked -Little’s boards out, but it didn’t quite look like my old board. Nice board’s there at hua site tho!
The board I think was probably shaped by Dennis as the shape looks similar to the photos - Huck shows. It had rounded square tail, or squash. Imagine taking a square and dulling the corners a bit and that would be it.
Anyway, I’m thinking about just drawing up an egg template w wp forward center 3", and just thinning the fifty fifty rails, but squash down the top a bit by heavily screening it…or pinch it out well…it also had a pancake down rail on top of nose…all the corners were rounded, tapers slightly more near and out tips…and the rolled bottom - flattening out the rear third or so? I recall it was sorta flat rockered, but it had a bit of an uplifted tail…not steep, but more of a lift…I recall when you would get on the tail to turn, the board would wing around nicely… pretty quik actually! I think it had a subtle s deck as the foam was real low in the nose…width I am geuss n was 22 1/2"? I think I am just gonna have to apply what I think I saw …ty
Thanks - Huck! I ended up deleted what I posted bcuz it brought back bad memories of that whole ordeal…the worst thing is trying to get caught up, but not having enough work to do it…I was about to buy a powerful planer, but I just cant swing it right now… I’m probably going to just buy a wetsuit on sale . I could splurge and get a nice one…but id hear sum crap cuz im temp houseless until my section 8 matures…I think I got a yr to go? Stayin at relatives house, and motels for now. It’s been difficult try n to rent a apartment when people use the 3 x times the rent criteria now…
I’ll probably just rent a rm?
Huck- I think you might want to ride the 8’4" sum more…I mean, my late egg worked well in everything. But Iddidn’t have a chance to ride it in anything over 5’.Anyway, I’m finishing a job, and then im hitting the sales for a wetsuit bcuz it gets fing cold up here…I’m gonna try to buy a second blank, or a cheaper eps blank for my egg. It really doesn’t matter bcuz I can buy a bigger blank and chop it down…Anyhow, with all these tips I think I can come up with a similar shape to what I owned. I’m thinking due to fact im turn n 51 next mos itll prob be a good all arounder!?
