When and how does a board get soul?

General Discussion
1

I recently read something(again…) about ‘machine shaped board have no soul’. So I started thinking about when and how a board get’s it’s soul. It can’t be the glassing, since machined boards are still hand glassed but doesn’t have soul. It can’t be during final sanding, when you touch the board the most by hand since this is done on machined boards as well.

So I started wondering when exactly the soul is transfered to the board. Is it through the planer, another power tool? Does soul transfer better through a surform or a block planer than a power tool? Does soul transfer better through a skil 100 than a hitachi since the skil is metal? Would a shaping machine transfer soul if you grounded it to your heart?

 

regards,

Håvard

 

2

Hi haavard,

I think you know that surfboards are inanimate objects that have no soul.  Surfboards can  be surfed with ‘soul’ although it’s a subjective opinion. Non- living objects, with the possible exception of some cutting weapons, have no soul. Mike

3

I think the “soul” concept refers to the imperfections in a handshaped board, that sometimes create magic where there would have been none, had the board been “perfect.” So… magic of the accidental variety creates soul.

Personally, I believe there’s only soul in a board that’s in the water, and has nothing to do with how it was built. When your board is the vehicle to those magical moments in space/time that make you disappear… when the all matter and energy, living and non-living, become one entity… everything shares the same soul.

And when the ride is over… everything snaps back into their little compartments, and the board’s soul is gone. It’s a Zen thing… or maybe an acid trip without the nasty chemicals.

4

Great writing NJ! 

5

Boards that are made from love and fore thought graduate’s in levels, climbing the ladder of soul from the time it’s skinned until its shelf life expires and it’s hung on the living room temple out of respect. Every wave and different wave rider takes it deeper and deeper into the realm of respect and a perpetual spirit starts to burn that will be remembered long after lives are done living. There is deep soul through the eyes and memories of the children and small town chatter. I still remember 80 year “Ole man Brock” and his greenish semi-gun surfed in the late 70’s along side of the groms ( me include). He never missed a swell with his trusty volan green gun. In big bold red cursive letters covering the deck it read “BROCK”. He let all the kids wax his Mercedes and write on it down on 5th street near the boardwalk. That surf board has no mention in the history books or for that matter does Ole Man Brock. Ole Man Brock was bursting with soul, as was his waxed up Mercedes and his infamous mini gun that’s tattooed in my mind… with soul.

6

I think the soul aspect comes as the result of a design being fitted to the specific and personal desires of its surfer.  It is the surfer who attributes that stoke to the surfboard after experiencing the board’s role in the fulfillment of those desires.   

7

soul is the accumulation memories over time

8

The board gets soul when its owner decides to give it some of his/hers.

The board itself can be hand-made or machine-shaped, or delivered from outer space and of unknown construction.

9

when something is made with thought, passion, and love, some of those attributes carry on with the item. if something is made for the sole purpose of making money, then it has little value beyond its pure function. when something is made with love, it becomes one-of-a-kind and has imeasureable value.  the time and skill involved in the process also adds to the intrinsic value.

so compare a molded board or even a machined board cranked out to fill the racks versus a handcrafted board built for you by someone who knows you and it is easy to see which would have more 'soul'. one is just a product, the other is something special.

10

Does a tree have soul…???..If the answer is yes or maybe, then a wood board might have more soul than a board built from a blank born in a petrochemical mold…

If that tree then goes on to be built into a board is a tree that you planted, watured, nutured, admired and even peed on, then I definately know some soul is there…Others might not…

(above) That board from that tree…

 

 

11

As soon as you give it a name, just like Willie naming his guitar

12

in the work room when you leave

and the music stays on

playing an assortment of rhythm an’ blues

hawaiian and appalachian folk tunes.

this is when the crystal form stores soul.

ever wonder why you start thinking in music

when you paddle out?

 

every wave memory is also stored,

every trip to the beach,every comment is stored.

I love this board,what a bitchin board,

thets the board for today,I wish I had a board like that.

it all adds up a board only stops accruing soul when it 

is buried under tons of disposable diapers and assorted trash.

And it can be resurected and all the former glory will be apparent.

…ambrose…

that pacific homes in the crate for 65 years

in that mansion in l.a.

has way less soul than that dinged up

chuck dent found under the peir.

13

I don't know how souls for surfboards are created, but I do know one of the ways to measure the amount of soul a board has. Soul may not exceed the inverse of the number of days of ''terms'' with the surf retailer, with the # of days cubed. This may be expressed as the simple formula: Soul = 1/length of terms cubed.

 

14

When you modge podge a pearl Jam collage on it. 

15

If so, one can digitize that same surfboard 3-dimensionally and store it as a file for CNC shaping.

Therefore that surfboard’s “soul” can be stored in cyberspace and duplicated/replicated/resurrected indefinitely and “perfectly.”

16

Animism is a fact in southeast asia regardless of your religion. All living things have a soul. When that living thing dies the soul is in transision. Souls can enter into anything when in transision. A rock ,the soil, water ,a surfboard whatever. In order for the soul to enter an object that object must be a warm comfortable place for the soul to reside. Something that is old and well used and well cared for may attrack a soul . Very old trees, rocks and soil are a good resting place for a soul. An old Yater, or Velzy is likely to attract a soul not a new modern Surf Tech. Souls do not travel far from where they left life while they are in transision. After their transision ( Going to the outher side) they become spirits.. Spirits are free to travel where ever they want and cause mischief if they wish (Ghosts) There are some spirits that can not transision  ( These are Lost Souls) they wounder amlessly looking for a comfortable place to reside. A hand made wood surfboard is a good place.Lot of warmth and comfort there! If you are sesitive enough spiritually you will know what has soul. I got a 37 year old cement mixer that has soul, a 1948 chevy truck with soul and a couple of surf boards with soul and a hell of a lot of koa furniture and wood turning with soul. Build it with love, use it well, treat it with respect and likely it will have soul. Do I really believe all this ? What do you think?

17

…Im with what Grasshopper said.

 

Also, some of what Wood Ogre say;

yes, I just arrived home with my good ole Triumph motorcycle from 1948, 250kms cruising at 100km/h in this last ride.

Years with this motorcycle, I rebuilt it, I painted, I rebuilt again, one day the crankcases broke in half; before I bought it she was under water in an old flood, she was treated very bad by the previous owner but still kicking,

I drive it and see and feel when she wants more throtle or do not, when is tired and start to spit oil.

Its a fucking nice machine is not only to drive from point A to B…

last year I put 10000Kms on it, and I tell ya that is a lot for a 60 years old oldy

so, that is somewhat of soul too, I take care of she and she gives me pleasure.

 

 

–hey NJ surfer,

man, the machined shapes are not that perfect like what you think.

18

it's when you cut your hand on the block plane and leave a splatter of blood on the foam - and leave it there for glassing.

19

Perfection.

How is this achieved?  Who determines what it is and when that state has been attained?

Or is this merely anthropomorphic projection and perception?

(Precision is only as good as your software and hardware [bio-chemical or electro-mechanical].  You get what you pay for.)

20

A board develops soul from the memories you created with it under your feet.

it starts with a magic board, because the absolute best boards, those magic boards, set you free in the waves they were designed to ride, free you to surf instinctually at your best and have your best rides, your best moments of joy, and those moments will  meld into that magic board and give it soul…

Racked next to newer, more refined racy boards in my quiver is a 17 year old magic 8’0 rounded pin that freed me in the waves it was designed for.   When I occasionally pull the old warrior from the rack and run my hands over familiar creases and dents, I clearly remember pinnacle days and waves, how confident I felt with that rail tucked into my hand moments before running and diving into the rip.

And when the time comes to scatter my ashes, my son will be paddling out to the lineup with them on that board.

Magic happens, and soul comes along for the ride…