Ramon...Herb S. got me thinking

General Discussion
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Herb Spitzer mentioned Ramon in his “Kings of Swaylocks” post the other day and it was probably not related to by alot of people here.

It will be three years this week that Swaylock’s lost one of the people who epitomized, at least for me, the spirit of Swaylock’s. That was when Ramon - The Cuban Comet - passed away.

If anyone here wants to know true stoke about what we do, do a search for Ramon and read some of his posts. He was in Miami - not a hot-bed of great surf - and lived and breathed surfing. You could tell he was so jazzed to have found a group of like minded souls at Swaylock’s that it made his life that much more enjoyable.

Never did a negative word or vibe leave his keyboard…Talk about “Share the Stoke!” He lived/loved to do that.

It was part of what kept bringing me back here…day, after day, after day, after day…

His pictures were a blast. Apparently, from his shots of boards, he lived way up in one of those high rise buildings that line the beach in Miami. His board shots were taken on a balcony, like the 15 th floor. I always had visions of him shaping, glassing, sanding, watever and floating dust and fumes over the beach below - balls to the wall, “Git 'er done” board building at it’s best. Don’t know if that was true or not, but the image always makes me smile.

I miss Ramon’s vibe here at Sways, but I’m glad he didn’t have to suffer through some of the whiney bumps in the road posted here lately - thank god for the lock on them…

“My name is Ramon, and I am a Swayloholic…” Classic Ramon - a class act.

As you surf the endless wave - your spirit is alive at Swaylock’s.

Here’s to Ramon. I think I’ll hoist a cool one…

Pete

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I found Sways just after his passing, I think. I remember his post digging throught the archives trying to find info about building a decent fish( I’m still trying). I remember a photo in the photo archives of a highly polished fish with an absolutely wicked foil. I can still see it although I cant find it in the archives anymore. That and Herb’s fishes stood out to me then and motivated me to keep trying(still am). Thanks Ramon. Herb,too. Mike

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Hi Pete – Swaylocks was a much smaller community back then. Ramon was the son of a Cuban cabinetmaker, and a cabinetmaker himself. They had a full shop, and surfboards seemed just like a natural extension of his methods. I was drawn to his mild mannered approach. He was a soul guy, who made his own template and pulled off his recreations w/o selfishly taking. He’d go to the originators, dialog design and work out the problems.

I think he was close to Tom Stern, from Texas; Herb Spitzer, Mr. Clean, and many others. We shared some woodworking ideas from time to time. I was really saddened and bummed when he died. Mike Paler paid a nice tribute to him and I think it was Swaylocks first paddleout. In the time since his death, if we use it as a bench mark, Sways has morphed into a worldly phenomenon that has a lot of static electricity. He was a good student, but a better teacher. Viva Ramon!

Ramon Fernandez-Isla ramon_fi@hotmail.com

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Thanks

but that got me also thinking about what ever happened to Noodle and Holly?

I learned a heck of alot from those two guys back in the archives when I first came here.

the discussions between Holly, Bert and Greg back in the day contain so much info that has pretty much flown above everyones heads here for a long time…

I know Holly’s daughter had severe health issues so I can understand his departure but maybe one day all these guys like him, Herb, Cleanlines, Spindler, Jim and the others will get us back on track again with their “HA” (spirit).

Bert defientely got everyone here distracted and off tangent with that amazing post but BBP (before Bert’s post) there was a heck of alot of really interesting discussions on the impact of construction, design and fins out here…

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Ramon sounds like a GREAT guy ! I’ll have to go back and read all his posts !

“share the stoke” …YEP , that’s what it’s ALL about !

…each of us can carry on that flame …(if we choose to)

cheers,

ben

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Was truly a different world then,huh skip…

…been thinkin’ about you,Steve and Clyde alot lately,Got some time in mid august,since it looks like there’s not going to be a Westcoast Sways gathering this year,I might spend my time packing up the family and head north for a week…no waves???/Well I guess I’ll have to fish on the pier…My daughter Keani calls your town ,“Cool Town”.

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That was some cast of characters.

Ramon did have a way, the kind of way that set me at ease.

"Ha"s don’t come along all that often and neither do those

who can set things easy, but we do need both for balance.

Maybe it’s that sense of balance that I’m missing tonight.

Maybe someone else will come along.

I just hope we recognize them when they do. And allow them enough room when they choose to speak.

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young josh and cheater5 have stoke to burn !

it’s their unbridled enthusiasm that keeps ME coming back here . Oh , and Wildy’s photo threads , too !

ben

…where is “fatbaslardass” , though … "come in , Jase … are you receiving me ? …over "

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Quote:

Was truly a different world then,huh skip…

…been thinkin’ about you,Steve and Clyde alot lately,Got some time in mid august,since it looks like there’s not going to be a Westcoast Sways gathering this year,I might spend my time packing up the family and head north for a week…no waves???/Well I guess I’ll have to fish on the pier…My daughter Keani calls your town ,“Cool Town”.

Aloha Herb!

Thanks for all of the kind words lately.

The old neighborhood ain’t what it used to be. It seems that the high rents continue to drive us out of the way. Clyde is still down there, but it’s just his glassing building. The big money creeps are turning the place to rubbish, unless you are visiting to fish w/ your beautiful daughter. It’s good for that.

Keep on writing the story…