It starts getting good, thanks to Ulladulla

That, good people, is a full resin tinted Smooth Glide (a 'light hull' according to Mick Mackie who shaped it) single fin. A 7'10" one will be in the United States as soon as we can arrange the transport. Nice! The wave photos are also from Mick, it's an offshore bommie that rarely breaks but our antipodean cousins have been seeing a glorious run of swell and sights like this seem to be more common. It's windy and big, but Mick thinks makeable. Rather you than me mate......

Barry Snyder

Every time I see a photo of one of Barry Snyder's boards, I'm stopped by it. They look consistently great, and this one is no exception. Apparently made to enter in the 'Best Of Show' deal at this weekends Boardroom event, it is a seriously fun looking concept. If you're in SoCal, the Boardroom is Saturday & Sunday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and is absolutely worth whatever effort it takes to get there, especially if there's craft like this on display.

My apologies for lagging a little on blog posts, but I have been working with this Wheels & Waves thing coming up. The very positive side of that is the effort is paying off in places, and there is some seriously good stuff on it's way, and I mean seriously. Boards? Definitely, from three sources now and very soon. Fins? Yes indeed! Books? Music? The ever talented and efficient Andrew Kidman will have that cover by early next week if the international post behaves itself. Please bear with us, it's about to get really good....

Powder Surfing Video Contest

December Snowskates are good people.  They craft some very clean little boards, they operate in what you could term a niche of a niche market and just do their thing, they experiment wildly, surf off little boards and generally have a fine time. Good people, and our sort of people. Now they're doing this little contest and kicking down prizes- go at it people!

Surf Ride/Бурун Автомобиль

Sideburn has easily the most entertaining blog on the internet, even if you're not so concerned about motorcyles. A recent post of theirs sent me on an obsessive hunt for videos of Вездеход, or Russian off road/cross country vehicles, the best of which are garage built and just perfectly extreme. The above item for instance, add a roof rack (preferably welded on and made from a shopping cart or something, none of this branded soft rack capitalist weakness) and you'd be set for whatever Sakhalin Island or Baja has to throw at you. Meanwhile, as the previous Wheels & Waves post proves, there's a certain hip factor to the surf/motorbike crossover at present, and of course our Russian друзья have that sorted too...

As used to a nice looking motorbike as the crowd at the Venice Beach Deus cafe are for instance, I think that would turn heads as you roll up on it. And in true motorbike fashion Aleksandr manages to get the lovely (and probably blonde) Anastasia on the back, but best of all there's room for a board back there too....

It's On- Wheels & Waves 2014!

This insane influx of boards has not been without cause- they will be traveling to Biarritz in the south of France for a monster surf & motorbike event! The legendary J. Isaac of Cornwall has coordinated a fantastic bit of logistics so that we will be bringing the surf portion of the event. John has an unparalled selection of old ply sliders, finless madness and kneeboards while I'll be contributing the more mundane standup end of it all with a selection of Mackies (both flextail and 'normal'), Parmenters and a couple of Kidman shaped craft if I can get it all in the bags. It's an event celebrating custom bikes, so we're bringing the custom surfboards and should you attend and want a go on one, there will be some demos going down. Better yet we're overlanding from the UK in conjunction with the mighty Stevie Gee so this stuff is going to get seriously custom by the time we make it to la plage. Utterly stoked on it all obviously, and there will be a bit of time after the event spent in London, so if you're a UK or French reader and want to check these boards out let us know at info @ foamandfunction.com and we'll see what can be done. More on it all soon, and here's the event info

http://www.wheels-and-waves.com/

And Again....

Oh why not? A few more Mackies for your perusal....

These Will Also Do Nicely...

Yes, I am a sad case. 3/4's of the widowmaker selection, 2/3's of which are Parmenters.

Homeland Bonzer

Maz, from the old country, got in touch and in the course of an email exchange sent these amazing photos. He picked up a Russ Short model bonzer direct from Malcom Campbell not so long ago. Truly an iconic board in my mind, a classic bit of surf design and from the look of Maz's view an excellent tool in the circumstances. Could this be the most southerly Bonzer? Can't be too many further south than 41.34 degrees (roughly).

Garage Score

I love these stories- Rohan in Australia remembered his cousin having a pretty cool old Kryptonics board back in the day, and after a surf one day had a look in Cuz's garage, lo and behold the board is still there. Awesome old complete right down to the Sims wheels and skid plate, bit of grease and maybe some new bushings and you could bomb a hill I'd say. This is super cool, and the board Rohan pulled out of skip is making watertight is not a bad score either- hopefully pictures that when it's done will follow.....

Stephanie Gilmore by Andrew Kidman

Single - Studies of Movement - featuring Stephanie Gilmore from the Spirit of Akasha sessions by Andrew Kidman from Andrew Kidman on Vimeo.

Dave Parmenter made the surfboard, Stephanis Gilmore surfed it and Andrew Kidman conceived of it all and filmed it. Dave will make you one of the boards if you want, he made me one and I won't surf it with anything approaching even a tiny portion of the skill and grace you see Stephanie demonstrate here, but it's still going to give me some peak moments.

Royal Again

Seriously, these boards are looking great. Pared down and functional.

The Chilly North

A brief sojourn to the north, but sadly no chance to get near the likes of this. Photo from Pat the happy sidecut owner.

Sahara

Found this and then realized the always on it Cabinessence blog had not only posted it, but had the style to have also posted an Ian Dury clip?  Well played sir. Some stunning scenery and waves in this, and it's always a treat to watch one of the Fitzgerald clan surf. Derek is brilliant and he goes backwards- according to sources in Australia he recently chatted with Simon Anderson at an event That would have been the conversation to overhear, Derek giving Simon hell for the thruster.....

Day At The Beach Mackie Style

Lucky reader Andy had a very nice mini Sim done and waiting at the Ulladulla compound, so he made the trip to collect it. Mick threw everyone in the ride and off they went for a surf at a beach break that looks better than the one I surf at, and then afterwards a quick session on the driveway bowl. No shaping machine is going to look after you like that.....

RK

Mike Machemer, the surfing world's answer to Barbara Walters, continues his run of eminently readable and intelligent interviews by talking to Richard Kenvin. 

https://pilgrimsurfsupply.com/richard-kenvin/

Reverb Inline Single

 

So much going on here. On the simple scale of this being an interesting concept that hits several key buttons- a way of reinvigorating and tweaking a classic design as well as the use of a (sort of) single fin set up with a very contemporary shape. There's the fact that in South America, away from what's marketed as the 'hub' of surf culture there's a shaper taking the time to experiment and try boards like this. There's also the level of craftsmanship in Reverb's boards. He does the entire build, hand shaping on up to glassing and fins, and produces some incredibly sharp looking boards. At a time when I've sidelined myself from the waves for a couple weeks, looking at these pictures like these is keeping me from going nuts. More to see over at the Custom Shapes blog too.

Mick Mackie- MP Lives On Pt. 3

Mick's recent shaping flurry has resulted in a couple of new flexstiks for himself (which makes sense given I've got his earlier one and he's not getting it back any time soon). They're goers he says, and the MP connection is the shack they were crafted in which Michael also used to bang a few boards out of circa 79-80. Definitely seems to be some shaping mojo hanging around that place.

Spirit Of Akasha- MP Lives On Pt. 2

Andrew Kidman has wrapped up his latest project and officially launched it in mad style- a premiere in San Sebastian followed by the full multi media event at the Sydney Opera House? Nice work for a Narrabeen lout. It's all explained here better than I could hope to explain it, and definitely seems like something to see on the big screen. Here's hoping there's a US show in the works, and in the meantime you can get the musical end of it all here- there's the new Windy Hills recording available there too.

Parmenter- Why The Single Fin?

MM: Why the single fin?
DP: The single fin represents the perfect renunciation of programmed, repetitious, and chaotic multi-fin surfing and a return to a form of surfing that is as free and unscripted as real jazz. Essentially a neutral surfboard design, the single fin responds to rider input with far broader and crisper nuances of sensation than a contemporary tri or multi-fin. Though the myth and old wives’ tale claims they are ‘stiff’ handling surfboards, the inverse is true – they are actually much looser than multi-fin surfboards but require real ability and proper technique to generate Thruster-like speed in low-voltage waves. I am thrilled that so many surfers are revisiting the single-fin design now, but I hope that it is for the right reasons. It would be disappointing to see this trend evaporate into a vogue or pose. Today’s ultra-refined and streamlined shortboards have to be surfed with one and only one kinetic ‘style’ or they will not go, and so all too often on that equipment it feels like it is someone else surfing, as if you are just shadowboxing along with the images you are hypnotized into mimicking. On a properly designed single fin the difference is that it feels like YOU are surfing.

Above quote is from a truly excellent interview Mike Machemer did with Dave Parmenter. The full text is on the Pilgrim Surf & Supply site and is absolutely worth a read. That's T. Curren demonstrating some single fin jazz in the photo.