Came across this great surf story from an old-timer, Vietnam Vet, and surfer. Pretty cool stuff from Sanuk.
Tidal Bore Surfing in China – Day 3
September 25th, 2011
Here is another video of Robert “Wingnut” Weaver and friends surfing overhead tidal bore waves in urban China last month. Very cool stuff and it sounds like its going to be an annual event. Some definite missed opportunities in this video. Hopefully they GPS’d those spots where a nice custom surfboard would be perfect…like in those barrels…Enjoy!
Surfboardbuilders.com Update
September 12th, 2011Hey folks…sorry if you tried to order a custom surfboard over the past week. Our credit card gateway was down for a few days as we are switching over to a new one. We are now up and running and the changes are just the beginning of a whole new surfboardbuilders experience that will include lots more direct interaction with shapers, lots more shapers, and a host of other improvements. As we get closer to unveiling the new site we will provide more details…until then, hope you are getting some great waves!!!
Sickest Surf Contest Ever?
August 31st, 2011
Towing in at Chopes
Hopefully you had the chance to watch the webcast of the Billabong Pro Tahiti. This had to be the sickest, craziest, most amazing surf contest ever witnessed! From the completely insane tow-in session to Kelly Slater winning his second contest of the year…brilliantly…it was something special. FYI, to win the World Title surfers typically need to win 3 contests and Kelly already has 2 wins with a full 6 events to go.
Just in case you missed the most amazing surfing and surf contest ever, here you are:
The Billabong Pro from Grind TV
…and from surfboardbuilders.com perspective the custom surfboards that Kelly and a few others were riding sounded pretty interesting. They were riding a new style of board…more of a hybrid or big guy tri nose and mid with a super narrow tail. Can’t wait to see one up close…and when we do we will share it here.
South Costa Rica Surf Trip, Bill Minard, and What the Heck is Randy Cone Doing!
August 25th, 2011
Just back from a great surf trip to south Costa Rica. I’ve been to Costa Rica many times but hadn’t ventured down to the far south. Wow, great point break surf and we timed it perfect with a healthy swell. Thank you Surfline! For most of the trip I rode a 6’4″ Minard quad custom surfboard. Bill Minard is probably one of the best all time ghost shapers and he just has this ability to duplicate your favorite magic surfboard…and if you want tweak it just a little, he’s on it. That board rocked until someone decided to drop in on me and cause a huge rail ding. While that was getting repaired I got to ride something completely different…a Randy Cone 6’6″ quad that had a super flat deck in the tail and the rest of the board had the deck routed out. From my understanding Randy is out of Nor Cal and is a Mavericks guy. When I first looked at it I just didn’t get it but that surfboard (custom surfboard) rode amazingly well. The board has good volume but the routed out deck means that you ride lower in the board/water creating a really different feeling…really stable on take offs and so smooth. I think its an experimental surfboard but he may be on to something. I am trying to get a hold of Randy Cone to get more info and likely order one…so more later.
Win a Surf Trip to Tavarua Fiji!!!
July 22nd, 2011Hey just wanted to give everybody a heads up. FCS is running a giveaway for a free trip to Tavarua! Here is the link to sign up. Good luck!
A New Post Surf Drink Thats Good For You: HDX Hydration Mix
June 27th, 2011
If you watched the webcast of the Quiksilver USA Championships at Trestles over the last week you saw some great surfing in amazing surf. You might have also noticed a new sponsor for the event, HDX Hydration Mix. HDX is a new type of sports performance drink made specifically for athletes and active people and it works! I was down in Cabo for the SIMA Surf Summit and the guys from HDX were there letting us try it out. Normally you can’t surf three times in a day after going out the night before without suffering some consequences…especially in the summer or on tropical surf trips. I was drinking HDX mix and felt great…and no cramping.
From one of the doctors involved in the brand, ”
The sustained endurance provided from HDX Hydration Mix Performance Formula comes from a combination of Vitamins B6 and B12, and fast and slow acting carbohydrates. Natural Crystalline Fructose and Maltodextrin are fast-acting carbohydrates providing immediate alertness, while Palatinose™ is a patented endurance carbohydrate providing sustained endurance to get you through intense activities. When taking HDX post-workout, these carbohydrates quickly replenish lost muscle glycogen (muscle energy).
The mental focus provided by HDX High Performance is second to none. The combination of Folic Acid, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, L-Tyrosine and the B Vitamins work to give you maximum alertness.
The Branched Chain Amino Acids (Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine) and CarnoSyn™ Beta-Alanine provide muscles with needed amino acids, speed recovery and buffer lactic acid. Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine provide instant food for hungry muscles and stimulate protein synthesis to help repair and build new ones. CarnoSyn™ Beta-Alanine is patented and clinically proven to buffer lactic acid and increase endurance. The Citrulline in HDX Performance is an important precursor to Arginine and may help boost blood flow by boosting nitric oxide levels.
The advanced electrolyte blend is a high-performance mix of seven of your body’s most important electrolytes. Electrolytes are needed to keep your neurotransmitters firing and reach your maximum performance potential.
Periods of intense performance increase free radical damage in your body. The Selenium in HDX High Performance boosts Glutathione, the “master antioxidant” and one of the most powerful free radical scavengers available to your body.
By addressing the multiple areas of need in high-performance athletics, HDX is a complete performance product for the modern athlete. Body and mind must work together with all its nutritional demands to truly perform at the highest level. HDX Hydration Mix is a one-of-a-kind product that meets these demands.”
Ask your surf shop about it or go online and check out HDX Hydration Mix here.
The New Surfboard Industry: Doing their Part
June 25th, 2011
Shea Webber in his latest update to the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) highlighted a company that gathers the discarded foam and dust from the surfboard shaping process and turns it into a product with amazing absorption properties. Spillinex creates a product called Monarch Green that is used to absorb industrial spills. Is this a commercial for Monarch Green…no…but it does highlight how far the surfboard shaping industry has come in doing their part for the environment.
It doesn’t stop there either. Recently US Blanks signed a manufacturing and distribution deal with Green Foam. Also, if you haven’t noticed blank manufacturers have trimmed down the excess material on surfboard blanks. You could now literally just glass a blank and you could ride it. It wouldn’t ride very good (much better to get a custom surfboard here!) but the point is whether its economics or just doing their part, the blank manufacturers are also stepping up to reduce waste.
Taken a trip into a glass shop recently? Glass shops are also using acetone recyclers and much less material. Here locally the glass shops are giving their fiberglass scraps to local ding repair guys…which is very cool! Also, resin use is way down and the glass shops are just being a lot more careful with their materials.
Even companies like Firewire Surfboards are working hard to build more environmentally friendly surfboards. Just making a point here. Surfboards and the people who make them are the center of our sport. Don’t forget to tell them thanks for their efforts on our behalf!
SIMA Surf Summit and Big Wave Surf Mark Healey
May 15th, 2011
Just back from the annual Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Surf Summit in Cabo. It’s a pretty amazing industry get together and this year SIMA put on an exceptional show. Getting to meet and talk business with lots of the surf industry’s top people is pretty cool…but getting some good surf (on my Minard Custom Surfboard) and even better, getting to listen to and talk with pro athletes like Lisa Andersen, Jamie O’brien, Bill Walton, and more is amazing. This year Mark Healey stole the show. That guy is a beast in the water and tells it like it is…no nonsense, funny, and a really refreshing take on life and conservation. Here’s a video of Mark walking us through clips of his worst big wave wipeouts.
