What Inspires You?

General Discussion
1

I haven’t started shaping yet, but the boards that I’ve been drawing in my notebooks or on Illustrator all stem from something I’ve seen before.  I can say that a lot of the things i want to create are really similar to the stuff from Almond Surfboard and Designs.  Griffin Neumann-Kyle and Dave Allee have really got some clean lines going on at Almond, and Gully, their high school student fin foiler, has amazing talent with what he does.  Also, anything from Hobie in the 60s and 70s and even Al Merrick’s modern, shorter, wider boards for guys like Dane Reynolds for punting airs always seem to make it onto a page.

 

All these thigns are what spark my interest.  I see the work you guys do; it’s ridiculous.  So tell me, what inspires you?

2

I am digging the fact that there are so many amazing boards being built. When the thruster madness hit the market it seemed as if quality went out the door .All you saw were machine shaped potato chips with sanded finishes and 4 ounce glass jobs.

   Now I am seeing the quality going up again. The stuff being done by the likes of Gene Cooper,Jim Phillips,John Cherry etc. is amazing. I am seeing opaque glass jobs,resin pins,clean shapes and great artwork. It’s happening all over the world and not just the USA.

3

Owl Chapman…

4

Fair, continuous lines with harmonious volumetric distribution.  Could be any size by any shaper…

5

channels, oh boy, I gotta learn these, beautiful 2+1 step up boards for points, hueis stuff blows me away.  A guy called Naohiro Yanuki in japan and Yorkys work ethic and stoke.

6

Sleek boards with no hard edges. No logos.  Cedar stingers with clear glass jobs.  

7

What I learn that works for me…

8

When a new design concept comes out or I think of something that has not been made or tested  yet..

9

anything that makes me ask a question.

10

to see how stoked some one gets when i shape or glass or repair a board for them and they cant wait to get in the water

11

The desire to be better.

12

As of late its taken a lot to get me inspired to get back into the shaping bay. It’s been a few years since I’ve mowed any foam. I’ve been riding other boards, some pop outs, and some used boards here and there. An event of sorts that has lit a spark to get shaping again happened a few months ago when I took out a longboard I shaped 12 yrs ago and had’nt ridden for 10 yrs. Paddling it out after all that time, it just felt right and slid into the first wave nicely. It was almost like riding the first board you shaped again (it was my 10th shape). It convinced me that I need to get back in there…soon.

13

    Howzit foamdust, I know that feeling and it will definitely get the stoke going for sure. For me it took a new idea that would get me stoked after a while of stagnation had set in. I had a tendency to get burned out after a few years and a new idea or some different artwork on a blank would get me going again. That poster you gave me has been hanging on my bedroom wall since I got here and it fits just right,Thaks again for it. Aloha,Kokua

14

What inspires me?

Well, long legged, big boobed brunettes… Er… sorry, I meant: sleek, eggy railed pintails.

15

A new Egg/fish thing/magic carpet/wizard sleeve thats sitting in my bedroom. i didnt shape it but one of my fave shapers did and im thiniking with both our inputs on this well thought out custom, it could be  my dream board for many of my fave waves on the good days…maybe even the barely breaking,…

I just hope it gets to those destinations with the cost of living lately.

16

"Sleek, eggy railed pintails". Great euphemism...or should I say "Entendre". As only the French can do. Vive le Balsa!

17

Balsa’s " Assistant" , in those denim short’s, "OOH LA LA " !!!

18

Hmmm…  What a turn this thread has taken…

It’s not like many of us aren’t inspired by that…   Ha!

19

dawn patrols.

 

sheet glass

 

offshore winds

 

nice early and late light

 

warm days with waves

 

friendly people

 

riding different boards.

 

 a grommet's enthusiasm .

 

looking at the beautiful boards on swaylocks , and thanks for sharing advice and expertise so freely , you pros and others !!  EXCELLENT  .   [The boards in the local shop here  inspire me , too   .... Ross has some interesting ones , and makes some interesting ones too, from time to time !]

 

other surfers ...who are stoked on waves , boards , fins , joy , and .....life ! 

 

[...my surf mates karl and marty are a godsend to stoke the early lineup [and two  bigger targets for the man in the grey suit , than I am ] . Karl , especially , is GREAT ... because he can turn what seems an average wave and surf into FUN ...always gets us laughing and appreciating the 'simple things in life' ]

 

people who give things a go

 

nature

 

looking at excellent photographers' work[s]  on 'Facebook' ...[there are some AMAZING surfing photographers , board builders , and surfers , THERE , too !]

 

the challenge / 'creativity' of making fins

 

good surfing , boards , fins , movies , music ....

 

 

 

...to be continued .... [hopefully , throughout LIFE !] 

 

  cheers

 

   ben

 

 [ I'm not sure pretty women neccessarily "INSPIRE"  me , but they get SOMETHING happening ... no matter WHAT our age , eh ?!]

 

20

Kelly Slater with his amazing ability to take surfboard design to the next level. He has failed at it a few years ago going to short and succeeded more recently with his design and fin placements/setups.

 

The trend of shorter wider boards, I’ve jumped o nthe bandwagon and it’s really improved my surfing in the pocket.  I used to surf 6’0 and not have fine tuned 5’9 DD’s but toook quite a few boards to get dimemsions and results right.

Innovative surfers are also very inspiring.

 

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