Hello, Aloha, Hola and happy new year full of health, peace, love and prosperity to all!
I was checking out some Tyler longboards here at a local shop in Puerto Rico and I was in awe by the flawless glass jobs and craftmanship on those single fins. They retail at around $2,200 but I am no one to question the price of someone’s such quality work.
I read an old thread about “your favorite longboard shapers” and I would like to ask the same question today. Regardless of price, who is your favorite longboard shaper and what has been your favorite traditional longboard? Please comment on quality of ride and quality of construction.
My favorite of the ones I have owned has been a Michel Junod glassed at Moonlight. I am saving up for a new board (not building my own as I still suck and need a good quality longboard as I am now longboardless). Here in PR 99 percent of the longboards you see in the water and on the shops are sanded finish, light glass high performance longboards so I have not seen many good traditional logs in person but from what I have read and seen on the internet I like Jim Phillip’s, Junod’s and Tyler’s work.
What is your favorite and why? Photos are greatly appreciated.
Hey Tony, here's my two cents worth: I'm in NZ so i can't comment on the obvious craft excellence of the many great US based shapers - there's too many of them anyway.
I spent a month in Oahu last year and while i was there I purchased a Fletcher Chournard board from the Patagonia shop, something I could travel with and which would last. Their boards are amazing - not polyester but epoxy with plenty of cloth, and beautifully foiled to avoid all the corky hassles of EPS foam. Most of the range, including their beavertail longboard and noseglider is under a 1000 US, and they are super durable. I am 6 feet five and weigh 240 pounds, and the deck of my 7.6 egg is as smooth as a curren top turn after some serous poundings. They also have a feel / weight like a traditional polyester board, with 6 + 4 +4 oz glass on the deck and 6 + 4 oz on the bottom. They don't have the old school tint and gloss finish, but for a board that will travel well, last a long time and offer up the best of design and function you can't go wrong.
I second Artz opinion that you can source a great log from FL, and the shipping would be much less expensive. I can recommend Ricky Carroll, who shaped an incredible Takayama Model T I rode for a while - Carroll has a bunch of great longboard models & outlines that would offer some great options for you.
Always liked Lance Carson’s boards , specially the tails and fins…if I see side-bites , I cross the street and walk down the other side…(lol)…there’s plenty of the the older shapers that still can , but they don’t…
Me, Myself and I --------- They paddle better, turn better, ride better, catch waves better, noseride better. Just no doubt about it. I love my own longboards.
I haven’t had a lot of longboards, but I like my Steve Walden Magic, and I had a Rockin’ Fig (Rick Fignetti) that I really liked.
Like McDing, I like my own self-shaped longboard. And come to think of it, Mr McDing sold me the blank, and gave me some pointers on the finish shaping of that one, so he gets some credit for it as well, along with BocoRio (Dennis of Dirty Crow surfboards), who coached me on the shape via internet.
Easy paddling, easy to ride, perfect recipe for an old fart like me! I’m planning a hws version of same.
Mcding, on the orange one, is the wide point pulled back close to centre, or is the nose pulled in?, looks like a versatile longboard, and looks especially good for steeper waves??
Come on. Saying your own goes best is a bit like blowing warm soothing air up your own ass. Nobody I know is that flexible and smoking is bad for you. One board that will forever stick out as a good LB shape was a Mike Casey 9’1 pin tail 2 plus 1. It was a slight bit undervolumed for me since it was shaped for someone else but was smooth as butter when the surf was overhead.
Well, if you read the orig. post, the o.p. said he wants a longboard, he’s reluctant to make his own as he has no confidence in his shaping skills, and so he’s saving for a new longboard - which are priced in the $2200 range for a nice one where he lives.
I don’t see why showing you can make your own and enjoy surfing it wouldn’t be an acceptible reply, in view of the above, and considering this is a forum for people who build their own boards. (I’m no pro, don’t claim to be an expert, but - no smoke - I have a great time on my own board, which probably cost me about $200 to make)
To each their own - there’s still plenty of bandwidth left for everyone else to answer as they please.
Thanks to all who have replied, some nice boards in the photos. McDing, that yellow board is a beauty. Yea, I don’t have much skills yet and mostly not much time to shape although I am already planning #2 jejeje. The only way to acheive greatness is to have confidence in oneself so Huck’s and McDing comments are very valid to me.
I love longboarding and I sold my 2 longboards to two great friends who were longboardless. With the money, I planned to order a quality custom and had the cash to pay for a $1,200 board. Two bummers: first, I found map cargo charges around $500 to ship a longboard from California to PR and 2nd: my car got broken into so I had to use some of the money to buy window, I phone and prescription sunglasses all of which I use everyday to work. Therefore I am now longboardless and want to buy something that will ride like a Cadillac and last me at least a decade.
I beleive that the backbone of a quiver is a good longboard and it is my opinion that quality is less expensive in the long run. That said, I can’t afford $2,200 yet, and don’t know if I could bring my conscience to accept paying that much for a board as I am not rich but who knows. I have saved $1,154 so far and want to make an educated decision as I know I can get a good quality custom for around $1,000 - $1,200. Shipping is the only thing that kills me. Does any one of you use Delta cargo to ship?
By the way, I am not questioning the price of someone’s work and considering the shipping costs, I think the surf shop is not earning much in mark up for those Tylers as I have heard they go for around $2,000 in California. Am I correct? Beautiful boards though…
This is a Bing 9’8" pintail, very handy all round longboard, turns and nose rides, and capable of riding a bigger wave if required. Good one to travel with. There called light weight but there is definitely nothing light about them.
Tony There are some excellent shape up here in Fla That make some very nice longboards Shipping I would imagine would be far less then what you would pay for a Board from California.
Perhaps the best would be Ricky Carrol. I think he has won the Sacred Craft shape off a few times. He has some versions of Some of the legendary shapes from People like Skip Frye, Mike Hynson. He also has been Shaping Donald Takayama for the east coast market. As well as new versions of classic Longboards like the Surfboard Hawaii model A .
