I am trying to figure out all the different shapes and designs Jim Phillips makes and what some of the characteristics are . What type of breaks and conditions they might work at . I have heard they all surf great .
I live and surf at beautiful , and glassy linda mar and shoot down to santa cruz once or twice a month .
There are swt , swt2 , and and many more models that i am not familiar with . There are currently a 10" stylemaster and a wardy and a swt at the log shop in pacifica .
I don't want a high performance longboard , i have enough of those . I would like a maneuverable board that could possibly nose ride . I would probably take it out at pleasure point , capitola , cowells , and maximum size would be 6 foot faces , possibly glassy linda mar . Steffanie up here loves her swt .
Thank you to everyone , get wet and have a great holiday . James
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I have a Jim Phillips Blue Max, his version of the Morey-Pope Bob Cooper blue machine, step deck, flat nose rocker, extreme tail kick, down rails in the nose, no concave, neutral round 50-50 rails center, upturned tail rails, pulled in nose, semi piggish hips and wide square tail. Not the best flat faced wave noserider, needs a nice spinning down the line wave around waist high at smallest to get going, but such a nice trim machine, noserides really well in the pocket, and turns smooth and pivots. Looses drive if the wave is a crumbler.
You can’t go wrong with one of Jim’s boards. I have a SWT and two Hustler’s - one pintail, one square. [see pic] The craftsmanship is stratospheric and the ride even better. I have been having such a good time on my SWT since I got it this past Spring the rest of the quiver is collecting dust. I ordered two of them through Surfore who is excellent to deal with. Can’t decide whether the next Phillips will be a pig or a shorter SWT with a rounded pin. Heck, I’ll probably end up ordering both…
Yep, I would have said to start with a Blue Max from your description and then talk to Surfore from there… he probably has something in his garage right now that you could test-pilot.
It takes a lot to impress me, but Jim Phillips does it every time.
Do you have the royal/cobalt blue tint and golden yellow pin lined Blue Max? That is one of my all time favorite boards we’ve done. The shape, stick and beautifully clean pins (Jim did the pins on that) all come together so well.
I think! It a translucent cobalt blue full tint yellow pinline that also outlines the nose step? It is a 9’3" I just found used in perfect condition…Fantastic board, very fast, trims so deep in the pocket, can you tell me more about it?
Yep the first step deck version of the model. I believe it has a 1" balsa wedge and the way the deck pin lines blend around the step and into the cut lap is so sweet. I kept telling Jim that if it were 10’ instead of 9’3" (or if I were 50 lbs lighter) she’d never have left CA. I have one of my own now though. I think if you check there might be a slight blended concave but that’s optional and might not have been put into that one. Quite a great pocket noserider, beautiful trimmer though I have to change my approach a bit as it doesn’t drive (no lay over the water bottom turns) off the bottom due to the kick tail - it’s more of a flick turn from the hips down and a wonderful left or right board. I’ll see if I have any pics of her from the show.
Yep has the balsa wedge tapering from tail to nose. so beautiful and feels so alive and springy in the water. The board feels at home right when im in the step of the nose, it speeds up in nose rides! It ttakes a different approach to ride but i think that approach lets me express my surfing style better than a wide template board. Im 5’9.5" 140 lbs even i could use a few more inches maybe a 9’6" if i could do it over again. What do you think of the size for me?
Im riding a 10" Greenough 4a feels a bit overfinned maybe? what would be a good fin for noseriding on smaller waves?
It’s pretty exhilarating to feel how the board locks in the curl and now you’re one with the wave zipping down the line standing on the nose like on the edge of a moving high dive platform. You could go with a 9’6" as we like to keep the board thin(er) for sensitivity (vs going thicker and staying around 9’4"). We can and have done a modification to the tail rocker allowing the customer to decide whether they want the classic version (full kick for more nose time) or if they want a mod version (moderate tail kick for a nose time and a little drive time). I kind of lean towards the classic version and have the board as an addition to the longboard quiver vs a one board quiver as the rest of my boards are pretty flat in the tail rocker with the exception of my hp boards. I’ll throw the Blue Max in the truck on days when I just want to goof off like Mike and Phil at Mili (sp) beach.
I surf it with a 10" Stage IV too but I think you might be better off with less fin like a 9" or 9.5" of the same for more all around fun. For more nose time I might try a little rakier fin with the wide base like the Wayne Rich #3 fin from True Ames. I had a DT pivot fin in it for a few sessions and HATED the board. It felt like I was standing on the board with a 1" dowel running down the center - the board would just tip to the left and right. What a difference a fin makes. Now the board holds better and doesn’t feel like walking a tightrope.
Exactly! The board is so loose and connected on the steep face i can play around with my trim right in the curl, stalling and jiving, then set it and run up for a quick diving board dagger pose where im outrunning the section on the nose! Or i can just speedline a trim along right in the step on a walled line. So much fun. The board gets moving fast! Needs the right wave though. Not big, but shapely down the line peelers.
Thanks for the fin advice. Especially about a pivot style so i can rule that out and work on a better sized full base thin tipper. Ill check out the WR #3 too.
