We at Swaylock’s proudly proclaim ourselves as humble backyarders, the brotherhood of pure stoke and guardians of the true surf culture. I can’t help but wonder if the pressure was put on…would we rise above and be a shining light of virtue and selflessness or would we be just like “them” and seek our own interests and self preservation?
I don’t know if there is really any better way to measure this than Swaylock’s itself. Is this as good as it gets and as far as it goes? Granted it is enough to leave one content to practice what he preaches in the cyber world, but what about the real world? Yes there are some who take it beyond the keyboard, and I am a little jealous of them and the relationships they have started. So many people who I’d ike to meet but probably never will because geographically it isn’t feasible. But what about those right here in my own “backyard”? Are the Eastcoasters really gonna get together? Will we do that here in so cal? Is that as far as Swaylock’s goes? Are we really just like everybody else and are too weighed down by life and all it’s cares? The best we can hope for is an annual get together? Perhaps that is all. Maybe Swaylock’s isn’t the beggining of the revolution, maybe it is the revolution. Is the revolution not a reformation of the “industry” but a higher consciousness for the individual only? Is the “New Frontier” not that which lays ahead and somewhere “out there”, but what was left behind and lies some where “in here”? Hahahahahaha…needed to lighten up for a second!
Sooooooooooooo, can we test it? I have some ideas on how, but I thought I’d throw it out there before I shared mine.
P.s those of you who think I am baggin on swaylock’s, unsnap yer beaver tails, let yer balls hang a moment and drain the blood from yer heads. I love this place, really…I just wanna see it go beyond. I want to beleive we can somehow be more.
We at Swaylock’s proudly proclaim ourselves as humble backyarders…how’bout the arrogant garage dwellers? unsnap yer beaver tails, let yer balls hang a moment and drain the blood from yer heads…LOL!!! I just pissed in my pants!
Wait a minute – without even reading what you have to say – what makes you think you can speak for everyone?
I mean – come on man!
This is a rude assumption on your part.
Whether I agree with what you have to say or not isn’t important. That you think you speak for everyone is a huge leap into territory that I for one am not willing to venture into nor am I willing to entertain the development of the idea.
Frankly if feel that the integrity of each person’s contribution on any level is of great value and trying to sterotype or classify such a diverse group as those who frequent this site would be a futile march in subjectivity.
Ok then, hows this;…It is often eluded to…Takes less balls but doesn’t offend anyone! C’mon Rich, I am not criticizing you or anyone, I am stating what is true. I am not even saying that it is a bad thing that “we” as a group see ourselves as “better” for surfing than some or most of those in the Industry. But let’s be honest that we do.
My personal opinion is that is happening some kind of “revolution” here in Swaylocks lately that i don’t really enjoy with threads as “Revolution or revelation?”, “Swaylocks hate”, “Outsiders perspective”, “Re-visit why you are all here”, “Would you do it?”, “Harbor-Freight and Surftech”, “Massive Stoke!!!”, and many others.
I remember a time when those post where the anecdote, and i enjoyed them, now for me it’s impossible to read all the posts of the day, and when i do it i find that most are a rewrite of something that was asked and answered before or about something different than “surfcraft design and construction”.
Please don’t take it as a personal attack, i’m just talking about my likes.
The thread “Fun while it lasted” really nailed the bottom of this feeling i have.
We at Swaylock’s…Are shaping/glassing our own boards or atleast trying too!
We at Swaylock’s…Are a community
We at Swaylock’s…
You see there ar somethings that are true of all of us. Thinking that we are the grass roots and more pure than the “industry” also holds true for most of us. And I dare say I think it is true! We are the culture of surfing and we are better for surfing. I am not ashamed or afraid to say what is so obviuosly true and plain to see. But that is not my point. My point is; Are we really any better? Any different? How do you find out?
It’s easy to espouse virtues on the web. This place is priceless. But is it an end to itself or the begining of smething better?
“We at Swaylock’s proudly proclaim ourselves as humble backyarders, the brotherhood of pure stoke and guardians of the true surf culture.”
If I was going to categorize myself, it would not be “humble backyarder” actually, far from it. To think that there isn’t a semi large portion of the posters on Swaylocks like myself would be plain ignorant. Because I’m not a “humble backyarder” does that mean I don’t get to be part of the group? Is my Swaylocks membership going to be revoked? Am I not going to be invited to the next big campout? Get a clue- not everyone that posts on this board is the same… or has the same perspectives about what Swaylocks should or shouldn’t be. It’s a melting pot of industry, backyarders, beginners and everyone in between. Thats what is so novel about it, in the real world alot of us wouldn’t even speak to each other. So with that said- theres a reason why so many people are attracted to Swaylocks, and it’s not because of posts like this. Leave Swaylocks alone. -Carl
I agree with Coque. Too much philosophy. There are lots of places to debate the relative merits of global trade and to forge online communities dedicated to the brand of personal comsumerism you want. There aren’t many other places to get a perfect recipe for gloss resin or fin placement measurements for a canard quad.
Aquafiend, I know you mean well, but you’ve started a great many of these threads, about modeling, homeschooling, imported tools, REVOLUTION, etc. I much prefer your threads about the stand up board and the stingray.
This is about boards! What I want to see is for us “backyarders” to pool our resources together. Are we willing to share our tools and our contacts as well as our ignorance (in my case) or experience. Really all I am hoping for is to generate a “guild” or someting where we can help eachother. But I wonder if anyone would really want to be apart of that. I don’t aspire to be a production shaper but I would like to sale some boards at some point. But why go it alone. I was/am hoping that there are some/many who are like myself and who would like to be a part of a community that reaches beyond the web. I want to be a part of a southern cal. “chapter”, so to speak, that is made up of all sorts of wonderful people with different levels of skills and contributions. Heck who knows, maybe we’d even share rent on an industrial unit that served as a place to create as well as meet. I don’t know. Just wondering. Like I said, Can it go beyond the screen? Maybe everyone else is content and doesn’t really get excited about actually meeting any of you. I want to meet all of you! Even you Carlolsen! I’m not trying to be philosophical. Just am excited about the possibilties…
2nd I think more people getting together would be great (folks enter your location in your profile please)
3rd see the “Home: Connections: Events & Happenings” section - Keith Melville has hosted several events at his house/shaping/glassing area in SD.
I’m not GD (geographically desireable) since I am in the Magic Mountain area, Stevenson Ranch/Santa Clarita/Valencia/North LA part of So. Cal. but I do now have a shaping/glassing area and would be happy to host a get together. I don’t have much experience and none in vac bagging, but I am setting up a vac bag system and will be playing with both eps sandwich and hollows.
Yeah, I know. And I wish you well. I approach it differently. To me, its a distraction from the hectic & competitive industry in which I work. Its alone-time in my garage at night. I build stuff for the same reasons I surf; to clear my head of the rest of the world, to stare into space as I try to figure out a problem, to lose myself for a few hours. I don’t think I’m the only one here.
I like to log on, catch a few ideas and see some photos. Maybe answer a question if I can. But the last thing I would want is to have to schedule my project time with other people, other places, other agendas. I’m sorry, but that’s just not what I do this for. And again, I don’t think I’m the only one here.
I always liked going camping more when I wasn’t in Boy Scouts.
I always liked playing baseball more when I wasn’t in Little League.
I always like fishing more when I can fly fish where other people don’t.
I will always love surfing more when I can choose my own way of being part of its world.
The inherent diversity and LACK of rigid structure is what invites so much useful information to surface on Swaylock’s. May my sponge never be fully soaked.
OK, It’s settled… We change the name of this forum from Swaylock’s Surfboard Design Forum to Surfboard Building for the Busy Industry Worker Bee. Can I get an A-men?
But schedules/time are not the only issue. What if a bunch of people wanted to invest in a good vacuum that could be shared? Or many people orderer a whole case of PVC foam or even EPS foam for that matter. I have a hectic schedule to. But ya gotta give a little too. Can’t always take. I am not saying it personally about anyone. Brett, who posts here, came by and needed help glassing. I told him I had very little experience but would try to help. I ended up not being able to cause the rain slammed my schedule. I don’t know if he ever got it glassed. NO one else around to help?
There is nothing wrong with looking out for your product or promoting your products here. Part of looking out for your products and promoting your products is by helping some of those who want to find out information about something surfboard related.
Most of the true craftsmen and other knowledgeable folk here on swaylocks make huge contributions to their own products and reputations by simply being helpful right here on swaylocks.
There is quite a bit of knowledge here on swaylocks about a variety of different things pertaining to surfing and surfboards. I appreciate all of the different and honest points of view. I remember a thread awhile ago with Doc and some of the rest of us about opening a surf shop. Quite a bit of knowledge in such a small and easy to get to place.
The main ingredient of the surf world is the surfboard. The backbone of the surf world are the board builders. You got your share of backbone here.
I think I understand where you’re headed with this.
In my experience, it’s right in front of you… or perhaps right outside your front door and down the street. Any question asked gets plenty of answers and Keith’s shaping and glassing get togethers are a perfect example of online connections morphing into the material world.
My girlfriend still teases me about my “imaginary friends” but even she admits, after having met some of them, that they’re an OK bunch. Maybe no one here will invent the next big thing but there are plenty of people who have demonstrated a willingness to share - their homes, ideas, know how and actual product. In the earliest planning stages of the Swaylocks camp outs, this was apparent.
Gary Geist was first in line with a generous offer of kegs of beer direct from his brewery (The Lucky Lab) in Portland… and he brought them down himself! Fiberglass Supply kicked in a bunch of materials, Foam-EZ sent blanks and materials, Tom OKeefe of Red-X brought a pile of fins and plugs, Action Sports Video donated a pile of DVDs, Chuck at Wetsand donated board bags and other great stuff. At the more recent event Richard McCormick sent a couple of beautiful display fins and the list goes on. That doesn’t begin to include the individual donations from individuals like Dale Solomonson who sent an inflatable mat, Paul Jensen who put up one of his hollow wooden boards for the raffle or Ambrose Curry who donated his traveling board for everybody to pass around.
This wasn’t meant to be a rehash of raffle prizes donated - just to illustrate that there are lots of folks here who have put out to make this a great online and offline community.
Maybe the attitude was best displayed in the water where people were swapping boards and telling the other guy, “You GO!” - Maybe not a revolution but at least a refreshing change from the dog eat dog/me first lineup so common at many spots these days.
