ROBERT AUGUST End of Summer Sale!!!

Hey guys Robert August is having a killer end of the summer sale for the entire month of September. All their goodies are on sale including their classic surfboards, Endless Summer DVD's and posters, and more. The Robert August showroom is right next door to our shop so if you're in the neighborhood come by and check it out.

Check the flyer below for more details...

PRO SHAPER INTERVIEW with Mike Minchinton by Grant Ramey

Recently I had the privilege to sit down with long time Huntington Beach shaper Mike Minchinton. Mike is a pretty legendary dude who has worked with some notable guys like the late Chris Hawk, Carl Hayward, and Robert August just to name a few. I remember being eleven years old and going into the old Roberts August shop on the corner of 5th st. in Huntington Beach and seeing the Minchinton Model board. At that time I had a beat up old mini long board that paled in comparison to a gloss polished, air brushed beauty. I had a little ritual that lasted about a year that went like this, surf, go to Robert August Surf Shop, stare at boards, eat, surf, and then go back to R.A. to look at the Minchinton Model. That's my little bit of history in regards to Mike. I'm sure it's a familiar story, just insert your name and the shaper's name and you have your own experience.

Listen to the interview:

Feel Good Saturday!

What a day at Foam E-Z this past Saturday was! It was great having Mark Bouvier in the shop again. Even with the short notice (via blog post), Foam E-Z customers came down to say hi to Mark and catch up with him. A big thanks to Nancy (Mark's mom) for chauffeuring him down and sticking by his side to be sure all was as it should be. The buzz in the shop was unreal not to mention the shaping going on in the Shaping Box and next door at Aloha Glassing. Only shaping his fifth board, Dan tried his hand at an "Old School Pig" 9'6" Nose Rider. He got really crazy and flipped the blank nose to tail to try get more tail rocker and less nose! Mark got dusty too as he walked Dan through the beginning stages of the shape process. The day wasn't without it's legends, as Robert August showed up to shape a 7'6" Seventies Gun for his nephew and Mike Minchinton shaped a five fin bonzer out of a neat two stringer wedge blank. It was cool seeing Robert August and Minch talking shop with Mark.

We're hoping to get Mark in the shop on upcoming Saturdays. We could surely use his help and good spirits. A big benefit party for Mark Bouvier, "Give some dough to a bro", is in the works. We'll be posting the details as they come up, please keep checking back.

Thanks for your support-

Brad/Grant/Mark

Sacred Craft Shaping Demo at the Hurley US Open

There is nothing better than hanging out with 125,000 of your closest friends at the U.S. Open presented by Hurley. Major props goes out to Hurley for putting this whole thing together and bringing back all-stars like Slater, Fanning, Machado, and Irons. This event dwarfed past years in action, size, half-naked girls, entertainment value, skate/bike/shaping demos, and….half naked girls. Everyone was rallying behind local boy Brett Simpson in the final vs. Mick Fanning. The energy was positive and people were hooting and cheering at every wave whether it was Fanning or Simpo. When it was all over Simpson prevailed in his hometown to the tune of $100K in prize money.

That wasn’t the only action though. There were the usual raffles, and giveaways as well as retail buildings they erected with full on air conditioning. The stand out this year was the Sacred Craft Shaping Demo. Scott Bass and the boys set up a shaping booth inside an air conditioned tent for the shapers to do shaping demos on the sand right in the middle of all the craziness. Along with the help of U.S. Blanks and us (Foam E-Z) they were able to work through and explain the shaping process to onlookers. I was able to catch John Carper doing his thing and it was really to cool to not only see what he was doing but to also hear him explain his movements. It was very special since the inside of a shaper’s bay is a very private place. This is where secrets are kept and ideas are formed, therefore to be able to see a real pro going at it was a great treat for everyone. Carper really wowed the crowd when he broke out a chainsaw to cut out the outline. Other legendary shapers on hand for the demo were; Bill Stewart, Maurice Cole, Doc Lausch, Darren Handley, Pat Rawson, and local HB legend surfer/shaper Robert August. So as you can see this was quite a display of history, skill, and craftsmanship.

Not sure if I mentioned it but there were Half Naked Girls everywhere!! By the end of the event people were ready for more. The pros and spectators agreed that they can’t wait to see what will happen next year.

Reported by Grant Ramey
Pics by Jeff Holtby