Just discovered this site and I totally respect what youre all trying to do-- But guys, its 2003! The hippie lifestyle belongs back in 1968! Lets get real now!! WHO anymore wants to (or needs to!) make their own wetsuits, clothing, shoes, sandals, surf wax, blanks, boards, fins, kook cords, shaping tools, maybe even your own cars????? Whats next? WHY, when were so lucky to live in the "high tech" modern age-- WHY, when there are professional companies already manufacturing top notch products, tested out by the best surfers in the world-- WHY would anyone bother making anything themselves by hand? Whats the point? To somehow prove you can do it? Sure Swaylocks has got it going with “retro”! A “soul escapism” for a bunch of older guys with time on their hands, who like to do “handicraft activities”. That`s just an opinion from a younger and educated “out of the box” point of view.
Because it’s there.
Some people are satisfied to be a cog in the mechanism. Others have the passion to want to explore every aspect of their sport.
Exactly Tom: Bobby, you are a follower, you will accept things as they are or as they are spoon fed to you. You are the perfect consumer. You never look at the ingredients, you just buy and eat. You are a very important part of the economy, though. Without hundreds of millions of people like you the world’s economies would fail and the world would starve. All except for the, probably, 10 percent of the population that thinks for itself. That knows how to plant food or hunt or fish, or make fire. If it wasn’t for that 10 percent, we’d all be living in caves eating bark. Sure there is a lot of retro/hobby/crafts discussion here, but if you look through the archives there is a good 10 percent that is very thought provoking, eye opening stuff that can’t be found anywhere else. Hang around a while and become more even more educated
Hey Bobby, Cavemen were concerned with survival. For them life was simple and very much in the moment, food, sex, babies, shelter – little else. Why is an enourmous question. It’s probably one of the main reasons homosapiens (thinking man) is here. For you technological research and development(progressive design)is over, or at least you have given it away. You, my friend, are asleep. In Shakespeare’s words We all “pass through nature to eternity.” What we do with our time is either progressive and an attempt at a contribution to the evolutionary process or not. The surfboard industry is surely just a small aside but is in some ways it’s a reflection of what is going on in the grand scheme of things. We are all evolving, like it our not. Where ever you find your heart there you will find yourself – so much for philosophy. Many here at Swaylocks continue to entertain thoughts that may or may not result in a new edge in surfboard design and construction. Some of us even answer beginners questions in a forthright manner. I suggest you browse the archives. There are some some fairly progressive things here and much more in them than you presently realize. A mixture of the old and new is where the internal combustion engine came from and that mix the backbone of invention. Mix lifestyles and attitudes and it is possible something refreshing may result. Welcome aboard; enjoy your reawakening in a creative atmosphere. Research & Developement continues, Gone Surfin’, Rich
Must be an extremely narrow box !
Why? Because many of those products are made based on standardized consumer models. Theyre generic, but were all unique with different needs. Because mass-produced items are often pieces of junk designed to sell more than function… in dire need of modification, improvement or outright replacement. Thankfully, it all comes back to the individual. BTW, Im older, but Im still looking ahead. Yes, I do have time on my hands, and its called a profession. Im not retro or trying to prove anything to anyone except myself. I build custom high end equipment that money cant buy from anyone else in the world. You may be educated, but you better take a good look around... youre definitely talking from inside “the box”, not out. Dale
Too bad they can’t stuff a board in a cereal box, huh? Tom S.
This is the funniest post I’ve read in a long time. It’s also a little sad to know that there are people so willing to let things get handed to them without ever questioning the product. Bobby, continuing your line of thinking, people shouldn’t bake their own bread or grow their own vegetables. Why should they when the product is so conveniently available from the grocery store? Or even worse why cook, there’s a McDonalds down the street. Professional companies already manufacturing “top notch” products? That’s really a weak argument. There are many companies that care nothing about anything “top notch”. And most that will never manufacture anything innovative or different. “Its 2003! The hippie lifestyle belongs back in 1968! Lets get real now!!” No thanks. Hippy or not, I’d rather be dead than to live in an age where all people think like you. People like those who contribute to this site are my last hope in humanity. I can’t wait to hear Lee V’s response to this.
Lee, I was anticipating your post on this. You never let me down.
As a hardcore surfer with an aggressive style,I can buy a $475. RUSTY and burn it out in 3-4 months, or I can shape my own with pro glass/FCS fins for $195. If the shape isn’t ‘magic’ it will sell for over $195. without any $$$ loss if in decent condition. Triple the cost with 2 teenagers with rabid board consumption from aireal attacks. I’d rather pay off my house than RUSTY’S or AL’s. I get tremendous pleasure from a personally shaped board that rips and has my name on it. Total control. It’s a passion. Sure I can afford a spiffy looking Channel Island 6’2" from SurfRide to put on my Suburban so i can hang in the Gym instead of a grubby shaping room. But I’m drawn to it…Are you experienced?
I’m not a serious designer/builder like alot of these guys. I’ve surfed on just about every type of wave riding vehicle there is and I’m am intensely interested in new ideas(Dale’s Mats, new to me anyway).I follow this forum because I love the open minded, free thinking info that’s presented and not the “programmed” mentality that you and thousands of others express.
Bob. Good post. It is usually worthwhile to ask the “why” question. A problem, however, develops when you ask it about human motivation. It becomes meaningless for the most part. It is similar to asking, “What is the meaning of life?” There are no simple answers, except, perhaps Keith’s, “Because it is there!” or ghunt’s, “Why not?” It is probably enough to be aware of the fact that none of those items you believe are at the end of their development would exist except for a few individuals drive to see what is over the next hill. Keep an open mind and asking “why”. Have fun. Patrick
Shameless troll Bobby. And if you really think that all the ideas passed around here are archaic, you need to buy a clue. What you find here is a ton of useful information to help boardbuilders. If you can buy what you want, go ahead. I’m having much more fun building what I want - for less - as was already stated. Shameless troll indeed.
i can only hope bobaloo was pulling our collective chains. the main reason i shape my own boards is simple. because i can, and like someone above mentioned, i can usually sell it at no loss if it doesn’t perform as well as expected. i came out of the water one day with a wide nosed double winger round pin 6-4 and this kid i knew asked me, “why do you ride such weird boards?” my answer, “why the hell not?”
Bobby Priester so? do you still driver your own car or do you hire someone else to do that? how 'bout wiping your own arse?
“Thats just an opinion from a younger educated out of the box point of view” Most younger educated people I have had the pleasure to meet lately need to go back to school and get their masters in common sence. My mentor a self made man a man who gave me a break and started my career. If he were alive today he would be 100+ years old never went past 6th grade and a millionaire maybe 5 or 6 times over. He would say to me. “My children will have the finast education money can buy, but the future the country will be filled with educated idiot’s” His son private schools, grade 1-12, One of the finast business schools in the country is where he received his MBA. Short story long, him and his high priced education including his MBA, bankrupted a 55 year old company only after 3 years of his rein. So Mr. Bobby Priester, take your degree, which Mommy and Daddy probly bought for you and put it where the sun don’t shine. Aloha
For me it comes mostly down to economics. I can darn near make two boards for the price of one. (It would be even cheaper if I didn’t have to pay so much in shipping). It’s also a hell of a lot of fun to ride something you crafted yourself. I took my new longboard out yesterday with my own graphics and logo and people asked me where I got the cool board and when I told them I made it myself they were blown away. That’s pretty neat. (Yeah, I know “neat” is an old guy word but it fits). I’m also making a longboard for a buddy of mine who’s never surfed and a shortboard for his son as well. I made the shortboard a little thicker and wider to better facilitate the kid’s learning curve but I tapered the nose and put in a swallowtail so it still looks progressive under his arm. I also know from a long history of surfing all kinds of boards that this shape works better than the so called “top notch” shapes available at the local shops. Left to them, he’d have to learn on a cool looking shortboard that wouldn’t float him or a very uncool looking egg that some teenage salesman would talk him into. He surfed with me yesterday and seemed pretty stoked. His dad, my buddy, is eagerly awaiting the completion of his longboard which has a real nice Hawaiian flower print inlay. I didn’t charge him extra because my payment will come in the grin on his face when he takes delivery of the board. As well as when I see him stand up on a wave for the first time. And that, too, is pretty neat.
Bobby … bite me ! Hey you and my brother might get along real well . He went to a private school , you went to a private school , he went to college , you went to college , he has no brain , you have no brain ! Aloha , Cal
is this the guy that buys out a big money making surfboard manufacturing outfit down there in yer hermosa del mar ,just before the big wake up call? hello mikilos this is elvis , change the channel to 2004 watch, this its gonna be great, by the way whats a euro dollar… and how do you get to 3rd point without stepping on ku kai ? 'dream your way ELVIS dream away" the annomous miki hung up, took off his shades rolled over and paddled out to another solo session connecting all the way through the pier . sportsways Yep they make the best boards get your hands on one and you will never ride anything else. Leading Industry spokes men agree sportsways will take this young Industry to places never imagined in a 1000 years