I was just on the Surfing Heritage Museum’s website, as was reading about how the Duke, Bob Hankey, Lorrin “Whitey” Harrison and others used to shape their boards on the beach. I was thinking that it might be kind of fun to go down to the sand set up a tent, some saw horses, and go to work on a balsa blank. I’d probably have to use a none electric hand planer, and throw down a towel to catch the chips. This sounds appealing to me, because when I’m working in the garage I have to be away from my family. I end up only being able to work for short intervals. I could bring every one down to the beach with me, and spend the whole day working on the board. Afterwards, a quick dip in the surf will wash off all the saw dust.
Has anyone done this since 1930? Do you think the lifeguards would mind?
One staple feature of wooden boat shows such as those sponsored by WB magazine is some kind of contest to build a small boat to a common plan, with the results judged on time, quality, or both. Might be interesting to transplant the concept. That got me thinking. Surfing is one of the few “enthusiast” avocations that doesn’t seem to have many events that are centered on the target interest, but also feature related activities that have broader appeal to families, members of the pubic with a passing interest, etc. Might also be interesting to have analogous events - call them Surfboard and Surfing Festivals - as the venue for such a competition.
Ambrose, that’s the best thing I’ve seen on the internet in a while- you could feed those shavings into the fire and watch the waves you’d later be surfing- maybe modify that board for the conditions. A beautiful concept.
Just got back from taking books to the Kahanamoku family store in El Segundo and I fondled the rails on a Aipa board there, all thick and boxy and wild. I drove home thinking how fun old style can be and now this idea…made my morning. No rock throwing allowed though.
We built this 10’4" hollow redwood board from scaratch over a two month period during 2001 while camped at a beachbreak called Sandmine in the bay of Plenty.
The board was built under a canvas awning strung off our bus, the camp was so close to the surf that during a big swell the waves swept down the beach behind us, encircling the camp. . . it was a lot of fun and being on the beach was good for inspiration .
Just answering the question Ambrose, don’t take it to heart please. . . . and btw if anyone asks if a board has been built in a shadehouse without a roof, in the rain, yes we have done that too ! :
Here’s the bus awning used for building about half a dozen boards, it’s not at the beach here, it moved around
Those awnings were hand sewn by myself with heavy sailmaking cotton, it took about 2 months while living on a public boatramp at kaituna river ( around 360 feet of seams plus 36 heavy webbing loops sewn on, that was the hardest part) . The canvas came from a dumpster at Mount Maunganui, 12 new 10 x 5 cover sheets. . . found out later the boss flipped that the guys had thrown them away as he wanted them, too late, already taken !
Here’s the Kaituna camp, lived 8 months here, baby Victor born in the bus during a flood, flooded out 3 times at night during big storms, rescued an injured Australasian Harrier (Kahu) retreived stolen car dumped in the river, practiced archery, had a bath with a fire under it, fished for herring and trout in the river, surfed heaps. . . . Mr T wonders how i survive a few Maoris in Putauru. … . … Ha ! that’s nothing !
Camp Kaituna, applying war paint prior to 2002 NZ Nationals:
With a big trailer for boardbuilding Silly you would be sweet, if you do it I suggest low tech solutions for some things a lot of the gizmos which come with fancy buses bust under attack from kids dogs etc. There are some epic camping spots we oly scratched the surface, for $200 a year you can get a year long pass to all the 270 or so Department of conservation campsites, they have facilities and lots of them are on the waves, plus there is Frog Rock, Loiselles Beach and Pouawa Beach north of Gisborne, free from October through to April, got to stake your claim at labour weekend and you have it for 5 months straight.
Don’t get me started on the Nationals, I have posted too much already today, but what a lark . . . we had the Swell TV guy following us around for 2 days with the camera glued to his head, reckoned we were the only interesting thing there, that’s until the management came down on him and said “cut” (them) or else.
We rocked up to Manu Bay 2 weeks early and put up a humungous orange flag atop a 30 foot bamboo pole laid out the awnings and settled in. . . then the politics started, but we had some great sessions, one of the most memeorable was a Saturday when the open men’s semis were supposed to be held. . . big crowd, big scene. . . small surf none of the boys could catch a wave so the whole banana box was just sitting there goggling at the small waves waiting for it to pick up. An opportunity not to be missed so out came the bloke with the 13’9" and proceeded to clean up. . . the management peaked and ordered the heat back out. . . only they couldn’t catch any waves. . . we pissed ourselves laughing.
Came out of the water and stood my board up against the front of the judges tower, it’s so tall that it nearly went up head judge buchanan’s nostril !
My best heat was in the longboard division unfortunately 70% of my waves were behind the judges tower as they were only set up for the ledge ( the first section ) but I was taking off on the ledge and cruising way around the point where the waves wrapped to the speedy inside and the beer tent. . . the beer tent guy marcus from Raglan surf co said that i definitely won but no alas . . last of course. . . half a point for satanding up half a point for catching the wave, less lots of points for ‘dropping in’ twice ( fark I thought that if I caught the wave first … !! ) forgot to cross step and run right off the nose into the dudges stand like the others doing ‘classuc surfing’ lol
Got some big waves too, better shut up now or the vibe police will be after me.
. . last of course. . . half a point for satanding up half a point for catching the wave, less lots of points for ‘dropping in’ twice ( fark I thought that if I caught the wave first … !! ) forgot to cross step and run right off the nose into the dudges stand like the others doing ‘classuc surfing’ lol