Check out this killer video blog 1 Hour in HBput together by local vidiot David Scales.
You know how people move to Hollywood with dreams of seeing movie stars all over town? Well that's what Huntington Beach is like, except those movie stars are pro surfers. On any given day, not only will you see our local contingent of professionals, but often a couple of world traveling pros will paddle out and catch a couple.
This blog documents those sessions and experiences. Some of the pros documented: Brett Simpson, Alana Blanchard, and Micah Byrne.
As a full-time gig, Dave owns and runs MAWL (Music , Art, Wine, Love). It's a great little wine tasting and gathering spot next to the 405 and Valley View St. It's an awesome spot to drink wine, beer, eat cheese, hang with friends/family, check out art, and much more...
Want to reduce the carbon footprint on your next big DIY project? Have you been waiting to try Entropy's Bio-Epoxy on your upcoming surfboard project? Well, quit procrastinating and help celebrate Earth Day by receiving a 10% discount on all our bio-epoxy resin kits and Marko Envirofoam Blanks. From Earth Day, April 22nd through April 28th, just type "EARTH2010" in the coupon field during checkout, and receive 10% off all products in the Green Surf Supplies category. It's our way of giving back to Mother Earth by getting the most environmentally sustainable surf products into your hands at the cheapest possible price!
As you probably know, we recently made the pilgrimage to Ventura, CA where surfboard builders big and small congregated for the annual Sacred Craft Surfboard Expo. Along with Entropy Resins and Marko Foam we presented a vision of the future in sustainable & recycled surfboard design; Surf Sap bio-epoxy, Marko's Recycled Envirofoam, and Future's Recycled Fins. Expect to see more of these eco-shredders coming from a shaper near you!
Here's what Rey Banatao of Entropy Resins had to say: "The show was a huge success, as evidenced by the heavy foot traffic our booths received throughout the weekend and the standing room only during Stretch Riedel's live glassing demo with our resin! We want to thank FOAM E-Z for putting this successful collaboration together. And a BIG MAHALO goes to Stretch and Dave, from Stretch Surfboards, for doing live Surf Sap glassing demos throughout the weekend and causing a major raucous in the showroom aisles. Finally, thank you to everyone that stopped by the booths."
Stay tuned for more cool, sustainable products in the near future.
We had a blast this past weekend at the Sacred Craft convention at the Ventura Fairgrounds. If you haven’t had the chance to go or you’ve put it off in the past then you’re missing out on some legendary shapers and some up and comers. This show they honored Rennie Yater and had a shape off that included shapers (WINNER) Wayne Rich, Todd Proctor, Michel Junod, Nick Palandrani, Matt Moore, and Dennis Ryder. They had to replicate one of his classic “Spoon” models. They brought their A game for the crowd and it still blows my mind how every shaper went about it differently but still came out with a great looking replica.
Like usual we didn’t just sit around at the show, we had our own bio-based epoxy glassing demo going both days. We had some help this time, and we were able to not only laminate a couple of boards but also give them away; thanks to Marko Foam, Entropy Bio-Based Epoxy Resin, Surf Prescriptions by Doc, Stretch Surfboards, Surfrider Foundation and of course, us…Foam E-Z. Since we love keeping people stoked there was no entry fee for the surfboard raffle so of course people were losing their minds trying to enter before we drew the winner. Just to give you an idea, it was kind of like when the Beatles came to America, complete pandemonium…..okay, not really but we were throwing out free hats!!!! Bill “Stretch” Rydell from Stretch Surfboards did the laminating on both days of the demo which was really cool because we also got to talk to him about his boards and the different models. He also shared a bunch of little glassing tricks and was very generous to give up his time and to provide the shaped blank. When it came time to draw the names there could only be two winners, so along with the other sponsors of the demo we want to congratulate Stephen Leeruangsri of Arcadia and Mary Barbour of Venice. Stephen was the winner of the Stretch surfboard and Mary scooped up the Surf Prescriptions board.
We hope that if you were there that you had as much fun as we did and be sure to look out for future demos and giveaways from us.
You know that feeling you get right before finals in high school, all the late nights studying, thinking about failing, the anxiety….well that’s what were feeling, but it’s just in preparation for Sacred Craft up in Ventura on April 10th and 11th. I know your probably weeping in your Wheaties because we don’t have our unbelievably, finely crafted newsletter, but don’t fret, we’ve got some cool stuff planned for that up coming weekend. We’ll be bringing it to the people both days ‘cause that’s what we like to do.
This time we have partnered up with Entropy Bio-Resins and Marko Foam to create an all inclusive surf center within the show. We’re going to have a glassing demo both Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. where we’ll be glassing up a couple of boards with the SUPER Sap and SURF Sap Bio-Resins. This demo will take place in the Entropy booth (F-10) which will be sandwiched between the Foam E-Z and Marko booths. Not only is that going to be happening, but since we’re such generous guys we’ll also be raffling off the SURF PRESCRIPTIONS demo board as well as a lot of other goodies. Yeah, for real, the winner will be able to pick up their completed surfboard two weeks after the show at Foam E-Z!!! Entry in the raffle is free, the demo is free, and like always we’ll have plenty of knowledgeable staff there to answer any questions about the products. As usual there will also be some special show pricing, if you know what I mean…. wink, wink. Believe me, if you like surfing in general then you’ll love Sacred Craft, and I’m guessing that you do if you’re reading this. Make sure to come by our booth and check out the demo, get in the raffle, talk shop, and play with some cool new products.
Next month we’ll have a full recap of Sacred Craft with interviews and video from the show. I’m sure we’ll also have some blog and Facebook updates so make sure you’re our friend on Facebook and check the blog regularly. It’s going to be a blast so come and be a part of it. MONTHLY DRAWING/RAFFLE We're happy to announce that the winners of MARCH’S RAFFLE of the THREE (3) E-Z Squares are: local customer Ben Slayback; Stephen Skinner of Hingham, Ma; and Patrick Collins of Wilmington, NC!
This month we're raffling off some great Shaping tools: Flexpad Shaping Block and an E-Z Finish Shaping Pad to ONE lucky customer. All you have to be entered is spend at least $30.00 in the shop or online. The winner will be announced at the beginning of May in our newsletter and on our blog. Happy raffling!
Honolua Surf Co. Presents "Harbour Chronicles: A Life in Surfboard Culture" Book Signing & Auction, Thursday April 8th from 5-8pm.
Inspired by the life and work of master surfboard shaper, Rich Harbour, this 144 page, full color hard cover book includes essays by Mike Marshall (RIP), C.R. Stecyk III, Steve Pezman and Mitchell De Jarnett. Rich Harbour and many of the other contributors to the book will be here signing copies so don't miss this opportunity! A limited quantity of books will be available at this event for the retail price of $29.95. The publication includes many heretofore unpublished, historic photographs by Rich Harbour, Peter Brouillet, Leo Hetzel, Leroy Grannis, and Sean Collins. There will be a number of special guests present to sign books!
At this event, a silent auction will be held for the special quiver of 'Museum Edition' Surfboards designed by Rich Harbour especially for this show. In addition, a Limited Edition (#3 of an edition of a only five! ) 50th Anniversary Harbour Surfboard made of Curly Redwood / Balsa will be included in this charity auction. The Surfrider Foundation and OCC Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion will benefit from the proceeds of this auction so please come bid on a piece of surfing history, support responsible stewardship of our coastal resources, and the arts at OCC as well. Rich Harbour has been shaping since 1959 and has crafted more than 29,000 surfboards. Vintage Harbours are sought by collectors around the world who are eager to own a board handcrafted by one of surfing's greatest living board builders. Rich still works every day, sculpting these exquisitely crafted surfboards in the oldest continuously operating shape room at 329 Main St. in Seal Beach, CA. After 50 years of shaping, he remains a vital influence on the art and design of the modern surfboard.
I have briefly seen the book and it looks awesome. There are incredible pictures and stories throughout this hardbound book. I've heard quite a few of the classic stories over the years and were involved in a number of them when I was grom. Hope to see you there I know it will be a great event. Brad
On Sunday March 28, Jodie Nelson of Surfside became the first woman to Stand Up Paddle from Catalina to Dana Point! Jodie is an accomplished pro surfer and currently commentates for ESPN, Fuel TV, and covers most of the streaming ASP events. Jodie also runs theSUPSpot.com a business that promotes stand up paddling through boot camps, lessons, and more.
In an attempt to raise awareness and money for breast cancer education, Nelson, of San Clemente, paddled nearly 40 miles from Catalina to Dana Point on Saturday, a feat that only three or so men – one being famous waterman Laird Hamilton — have completed.
"I wanted to go out there and do something that was big and overwhelming ... and something I had a good chance of failing at. It's nothing compared to what they go through," she said. "They don't give up."
After watching helplessly as close friend Angela Robinson become ill from breast cancer and chemotherapy treatments, Nelson wanted to somehow show support.
At first, Robinson didn't like the dangerous idea. But she soon realized there was no talking Nelson out of it.
Nelson trained hard, spending long days paddling along the coast. About two weeks ago, her trainer and good friend Steve Adler died from an aneurysm – making the paddle that much more emotional.
She started the paddle at about 6:15 a.m., hours earlier than others doing a relay as part of the Ohana Ocean Catalina Challenge. She was the only person doing a solo paddle.
A few hours in, a 30-foot minke whale came up beside her board – at first startling Nelson and the boat crew.
The whale – dubbed Larry – was close enough that she could have pet it with her paddle. He started making bubbles beneath her, fluking, and showing his tummy to her. The whale stayed with her for about an hour and a half.
"It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life," she said.
Not once during the paddle did she ask the time, or how far she had gone.
But after 8 hours and 51 minutes of paddling, loved ones cheered as they saw her coming to the finish line at Baby Beach. Her son Taylor, 15, held a sign that read: "I'm Jodie's biggest fan."
When she got close to shore, she lifted her paddle in victory, then threw it up in the air.
"I'm pretty sure, besides the birth of my son, this was the most monumental day of my life," she said.
For Robinson, watching Nelson from the support boat as she struggled for hours from exhaustion gave her a different perspective of what Nelson experiences as she supports her during her battle with cancer.
"The struggle she went through today to encourage me was just enormous," Robinson said. Donations go toward Keep a Breast Foundation and Boarding for Breast Cancer. Nelson’s goal is to raise $100,000, and as of Sunday afternoon had raised about $8,000. To donate, go to paddlewithpurpose.com
We get questions all the time about Glossing surfboards. So we thought we 'd try to explain in some detail and show this video to help explain some of the difficulties and procedures.
First and foremost you need a sterile environment. Any dust particles will create "fish-eye's" resulting in a lumpy gloss. Be sure to use high quality heat resistant tape like our 3m 233 1-1/2" masking tape. The next step is to clean the board with the backside (sticky side) of some masking tape to help get the dust particles off, also clean your brush thoroughly so that there are no loose bristles. Be sure to use Gloss Resin which has a pink hue rather than the usual blueish hue seen with Laminating and Sanding resin. This Gloss Resin already has the Surfacing Wax premixed and contains special polymers to insure your gloss will polish up extremely shiny. Once the sanded surfboard is clean and taped off catalyze the resin and mix well. Pour the Gloss Resin on the board and move it around with your brush evenly so the resin spills off the sides of the tape. Once the resin covers the board completely squeeze the excess resin out of your brush (with your hands) and cross brush the wet gloss one time. Squeeze the excess resin again out of your brush and lightly brush the board parallel with the stringer to help the resin flow out. Don't spend too much time brushing the gloss as less is more in this case. As soon as the resin "kicks" pull your tape. Let it harden completely, flip the board over, and repeat this procedure on the other side. Once you've Glossed both sides you're ready to wet-sand and polish your board.
We'll explain the Polishing procedure in a future blog so stay tuned!!!
Tomorrow Tuesday March 15th we will be opening late (1pm) since we will be attending Steve Adler's Service at the St. Cyprian Church 4714 Clark Ave Long Beach, CA 90808.
Board Builder, Craftsman, Surfer, and all around incredible guy Steve Adler passed away last Thursday March 11, 2010. Steve was a lifelong friend and he had the idea to start Foam E-Z. He presented the concept to me on the way home from an evening mountain bike ride at El Morro. Within a couple of weeks of that bike ride we began Foam E-Z in May of1993. Foam E-Z and I would not be what we are today without Steve's involvement. Adler was an accomplished board builder having built his own brand under The Surfboard Board Factory name. Recently he was working with Tim Stamps helping to develop Stamps SUP line. Steve was incredibly involved in the SUP World and a business partner with Jodie Nelson in the SUP Spot.
Check out Steve's Facebook Page for more information on this incredible person. A college fund for his only son Clark has been set up at Farmers & Merchants Bank. Checks should be made out to CLARK ADLER, please still write Clark Adler in the memo. All payments can be mailed in or dropped off at any Farmers & Merchants Bank
He will be dearly missed by everyone who had the chance to meet or spend any time with him. It is hard to believe that he is gone.
RIP
Brad, the Nadell Family, and the entire Foam E-Z Crew.
Here's a cool email we recieved from one of our happy customers. Sit back and relax!
Hey guys.Just wanted to thank you for all the info and supplies that you've made available. I'm mostly landlocked here in DC except for the few times a month that I make the two hour junket to the coast. Its a stark contrast with Bali, Indo where I'd been living 2008-2009. I went there with extremely limited funds and made my peregrinations at extremely low cost. Even still, by the time it was time to come home, I didn't even have the hundred some dollars necessary to ship my boards. As such, I sold two (both badly abused in epic surf), and left one with a friend. Not having a board when I arrived back in the states, I bummed around, borrowing boards here and there while I tried to scrape some money together to buy my own. A friend gave me an old 6'8 Clark Foam blank he had had sitting around for the past half a decade, in the hopes that it would help push me along to self-sufficiency. I felt apprehensive, as I had no experiencing shaping or glassing. In the mean time, I took a trip down to Avon, NC when a swell of superb caliber rolled through and promptly broke my buddies board in half. So now not only did I not have one for myself, I owed one to my buddy. I resolved to fix the one myself (with his permission), and shape the blank I had. I called around while in NC looking for some resin, but it seemed as if most distributors were bone dry, and most shops didn't sell by the gallon. In one last ditch effort I stopped at the store front of famed East Coast shaper, Tim Nolte, who put me off to a good start supplying me with a gallon of resin, 9 yards of glass, fins and fin boxes, catalyst, and styrene monomer, all at distributor prices. The man nearly singlehandedly restored my faith in the goodwill and common decency of American businessmen (but not quite corporations as a whole). Returning home, I managed to piece the one board back together within about two weeks, but found my talent at glassing to by wanting. Nevertheless, I commenced to shape and glass the blank. Aside from nearly fatal errors, a waste of at least half a gallon of resin and about 4 yards of glass, a few ruined sets of cloths (and brain cells), I managed to shape something rideable. Ironically, the day that I applied the hot coat, my buddy from Bali called me up to inform me that my board had arrived in NYC, and that I should come up promptly. And so packed up my grip, hopped on the bus, and went for a surf out at Rockaway on my board that just made a 12,000 mile journey on an overseas shipping crate amongst a load of cheap plastic jewelry imports. I don't live a boring life, that's for sure.I couldn't have done it without all the beta and necessary supplementals you supply. You even supplied the Rasta keel fins I've got in that fishy while I was in Indo (its cheaper to have something shipped there from here than to deal with imported stuff there). Thanks so much. Jake
Photos: (In order from first to last) 1)Ed in Indo: epic, pumping, deserted waves right in front of malaria ridden camp sight. Only took 3 days on mopeds to get to. 2) Jake shaping Clark blank. 3) Ed pre-glassing. Should have followed the directions and put fins in after laminate coat. 4) Jake: Hot Coat. 5) Twin Fin Fish on left shipped from Indo, arrived same day board on right was finished. Board on right: 6'5" quad 20" wide. Who knows how thick.... Road map of Java in between.
Here I am with this month’s Pro Shaper Profile and I’m proud to say we have a video interview with Jason Hoffman. We are highlighting the artisan board builder which Jason and business partner Casey McCrystal truly define. Like many other shapers over the past five years, Jason has been building his boards from start to finish in house. He used to shape out of a room he rented at Foam E-Z and just crank them out and then drop them off at a glass shop. Since times are tough he made the move and bought the glass shop next door to the old Foam E-Z location and has been building his business even during this crazy time. As I mentioned before he has teamed up with Casey McCrystal to form a company called Ricochet. They are hands on and build each board from start to finish, that’s right, they take your order, shape it, glass it, and even hand it off to you when it’s done.
It’s been great knowing and working with Jason over the years so take a second to check out the conversation I had with him on this video. Check out their websites for more information.
Yesterday Sunday February 28th 2010 was one of those days in Seal Beach history when everyone you know is out and about. The waves were the biggest of this winter, the weather was perfect and everyone was in a good mood! As usual when the waves get big and the tides are high all the local news vans show up and prepare for flooding etc... Sometimes it is a bit of a false alarm but yesterday didn't disappoint. The water flowed from NorthSide over to SouthSide and filled up the area between the berm and the houses, in some places it was up to four feet deep. Mitchy Dejarnet even got the opportunity to paddle from NorthSide down to his house at Twelfth street (check the pic in our slide show). On Saturday there was a Tsunami warning from the terrible earthquake in Chile. It obviously never arrived but the tidal surge along with the big surf, and high tide made for this flooding. These are days that remind me of my youth since they only happen about every five to ten years with the most exciting one being back in 1983. That was the year when the Pier came down along with Esther the oil Island. They say it's an El Nino Winter maybe it's true!?
The images for the slide show were given to us by Jim "J.B." Boswell. He takes some pretty amazing shots of the local surf, check out his siteJB Photography.
BOARDROOM: LEGENDS OF SURFBOARD SHAPING Features the greatest legends of modern board shaping. We hear first hand on how they got started, who gave them a break and how they changed surfing history forever. We hear about the transition from balsa to foam , from long board to short board, from California to Hawaii. Get ready for a trip back in time to the beginning of modern day shaping.
Looks like it's gonna be a cool flick. Can't wait for it to come out!
We lost a a great member of the Harbour Surfboards extended family this past Saturday Feb 6th. I was lucky enough to meet Mike Marshall back in the early Eighties while I was starting my stint as an employee at the Harbour Shop. Mike would often stop in and heckle us guys in the back. He was one of Rich's original production shapers back in the sixties. One of my fondest memories of Mike was from the Harbour Surfboards 25th Anniversary party back in 1987. He was just the life of the party amongst the many surf characters from the Sixties and Seventies eras. It was always a pleasure to run into Mike and Sharon at various events and talk shop, I think he especially enjoyed talking education with my wife (she's a high school teacher) since he was a long time teacher himself.
It sounds like Mike's last days were as pleasant as can be expected. Here's what Rich Harbour emailed me:
As many already know Mike Marshall, my dear friend of more than four and half decades, had a stroke early Monday morning. After arriving at emergency, they found he had a very aggressive form of leukemia. Brain surgery was performed to relieve pressure and he remained in an unconscious state thereafter. Later in the week the family was informed that he was not going to survive, so they decided to remove him from all life support and take him home to live his final days where he was most comfortable. He was transported by ambulance Thursday, and on the way to his home they convinced the ambulance driver to take a lap around the parking lot at Blackies. With that done, they delivered him to his house where he rested in the "Museum Room" on a hospital bed, now in a Blackie's T-shirt in place of a hospital gown - much more appropriate. I visited Friday and Saturday. There were family and friends near him, all in a very positive mood, prepared for the final moments of his life that ended shortly after I left yesterday. I wish his wife Sharon and family well. These are going to be tough times and my heart and thoughts are with them. May he rest in peace.
I'm gonna miss bumping into Marshall at the various surf events.
Best wishes to Sharon and his family from the Harbour Surfboards extended family.
Up for grabs this month (February) is three sets of Future K1 Bamboo Keels. That's right, three winners this month!!! All you have to do to be entered is purchase at least $30 worth of stuff either online or in the shop. We'll announce the winners at the beginning of March.
January's winner of the Fusion Install Kit is Leroy Haight of Weirsdale, Florida. Here's what Leroy emailed us after finding out he was the lucky winner; "I have never won anything this is great. I have to say it is so great being able to get materials here in the middle of nowhere. Being raised in San Diego and living there for 40 years where materials were so easy to get. I have been making surfboards for 35 years and there is nothing better than riding a board you designed and hand crafted. So I would like to say Foam E-Z has enabled me to continue to rip in the water. Thanks"
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.
Do you remember our customer from the Crestline Correctional Facility? If not you can look back in the archives of our blog. Well Tony "Neptune" Stearns is still building boards behind bars! I don't know if you got a chance to see his little write up in SurferMag and Transworld Surf but he's graced the pages of those two magazines. We just received an email from him and here's what he had to say:
Hello my friends, this is Tony Stearns, Badfish Surfboards. The only surfboards ever made in prison. I wanted to show you some photos of my current inventory and also let you know about my Facebook.com page called Badfish Surfboards. Please help me create a cyber snowball with this information. If you could forward this message and my photos to anyone you know who surfs it will help me get off the ground. I want to thank you all for your help and support. I'm trying to do the best I can while I am here in prison.
Updated: Friday, January 8, 2010 12:10 AM PST My friend Kathy Escher has a teenage son, Kole, who surfs and she tells me about interesting things like a place where you can shape your own surfboard.
Foam E-Z near the Westminster Mall is a one-stop shop for any and all materials needed to make or repair surfboards. For professionals or do-it-yourselfers they have everything, including a shaping bay with all the tools, accessories, and help required to make your own board.
I had to check that out so I dropped by and was greeted by Grant Ramey. I introduced myself and explained why I was there.
“So, do you want to shape a board and write about it? he asked.
“Err, uh, me? Shape a surfboard?” I stuttered.
I hadn’t considered that. There are some things you inherently know just aren’t your strong suit and for me that includes making things with tools.
“Yeah, that would be cool,” I heard myself say.
So the game was on. It’s a busy place and Grant had customers so I cruised around the shop. A few minutes later, Foam E-Z’s proprietor, Brad Nadell, arrived and we talked for a while.
He started the business in 1993 as an alternative source of foam blanks for shops that had a hard time meeting the minimum orders required by Clark Foam, which for many years held a virtual monopoly.
Clark’s stunning decision to abruptly close up shop, and the repercussions still felt throughout the surfing industry is a story in itself, but Nadell had to adapt and change the business dynamic. Today their focus is more toward the hobbyist and outstanding customer service is their edge.
Brad helped me pick out a blank for my first effort. He steered me toward a “second” which works just fine but has a cosmetic flaw. They cost a lot less and are a good idea for novices.
He and Grant told me that coming up with a template for drawing the outline on the blank is an important first step. I went home and flailed unsuccessfully, so when I returned for my shaping session I used one of my boards and their templates to make the outline.
Then I had to cut out the shape with a hand saw. I did an OK job although there were a couple of wrinkles.
The next step was truing things up using a Surform plane. Luckily I had Grant as a consultant or it would have been a disaster.
I started removing material from the top and bottom using a planer. None of this is easy if you’re not used to it and the planer can do some damage so I went back to the Surform and some heavy sand paper.
That’s as far as I got during my first session. I came away with something that looks more like a surfboard than a coffee table so I’m calling it a success. There’s a lot more shaping to be done so we’ll see how it turns out.
I have a new appreciation for the skill that went into my custom made boards. My Foam E-Z experience was great — drop by or look up www.foamez.com.
We appreciate you, our customers, and to show it we have decided to do a monthly raffle to reward your loyalty. This is how it’s going to work. Entry for each month’s drawing will begin on the first of the month and will end on the last day of the month, simple eh? The only thing you need to do to enter is make a purchase of $20 or more online or in the store. Each time you do you will be entered into our raffle, that’s right, every time you purchase $20 or more worth of products. So if you come in on Monday and spend $100 then you get a ticket. If you come back on Thursday and spend $40, you get another ticket.
Now that we have that cleared up, let’s move on to when the drawing will take place. The drawing will happen on the first Monday of each new month. If the winner is local then he/she can pick up the loot, sing any song by Hall and Oates, and it’s a done deal (singing is optional, but encouraged). If the winner is an online customer, all they have to do is pay the shipping. We will announce each winner in our monthly newsletter so everyone knows who to be jealous of. This month’s raffle will be for the FCS Fusion Installation Kit with Router Bit, a $62.95 value! For information on how the FCS Fusion System is installed check out the Fusion Installation Manual.
Happy New Year and happy raffling… from us here at Foam E-Z
Hope everyone is having a great holiday season. Since it's winter time and skiing/snowboarding is on peoples minds I thought we'd share this interesting?, goofy?, crazy?, video. Definitely an interesting take on blending skiing with surfing, without any snow. So if you can't make it to the snow this winter maybe you can give "Skisurfing" a try???? What's next as we go into the new year?
Robb Havassy is celebrating the launch of SURF STORY this Friday, December 18 at the Hurley Headquarters "Town Hall", with proceeds from the evening benefiting the Surfrider Foundation.
SURF STORY is a 400+ page, hard-cover glossy collection of images and stories by the painters, photographers and writers that are embedded in today's surf culture, and is already receiving rave reviews for capturing the uniqueness and eclectic designs of the surfing community.
Friday night will feature an exhibition, book signing, concert and all-around good times.
Every year we all have to think about what to get others for Christmas. I don’t know about you guys but I hate it! It takes up time and energy and usually I fail and the person is bummed anyways. So this year, we are going to help you out by offering Foam E-Z Gift Certificates. They can be purchased over the phone and can be used online or in the retail store. You can even use them to reserve some time in the world famous “E-Z Shaping Box” that has been getting rave reviews around the world…..of Westminster and Huntington Beach that is. Call us up, get a Foam E-Z Gift Certificate and show someone that you care enough to get them a unique gift of board building instead of something lame like socks or a coffee mug.
If you are thinking about purchasing gifts online check out the Foam E-Z Holiday Shipping Calendar to be sure everything arrives on time. If you have any questions about delivery time please be sure to call. We don't want that special one to end up with coal in their stocking because Fed Ex dropped the ball!
Let’s face it; you need to try epoxy resin. Don’t worry, I’ll be here to help you through it and now you can’t use that lame excuse that “it takes too long to cure.” That’s right; that old stand by is out the window because we now carry The Resin Research Kwik Kick epoxy. The name says it all, quicker cure time, flip time, and overall working time. I have had the opportunity to work with the stuff and it is great. Just like the RR CE the Kwik Kick has the optical brightener and UV inhibitor and even though it has a bluish color to it, the resin dries clear and actually finishes out with a brighter white due to the optical brightener. Back to the facts, the working time @ 75˚ is roughly that of polyester and the flip time is about 45 minutes which basically cuts the original flip time of 3-4 hours by a couple of hours. I was able to glass a board completely in 6 hours which is a vast improvement from the usual glassing schedule of laminate one day and hot coat the next day. The Kwik Kick is the same price as the other variations of Resin Research Epoxy systems, it saturates out the same, and it is a great product to work with. Call us up if you have any additional questions.
This is actually a cool and entertaining interview! I'm not sure how Kelly Slater got picked to be on NPR but it turned out to be a a good choice. He doesn't have anything groundbreaking to say but the exchange between he and the interviewers is pretty darn funny. You know the stereotype Surfers have built over the years. Pot smokers, losers, uneducated, (you know the rest) but Kelly is on this NPR show to break down the stigma for us!
Came across this Volcom ad the other day and thought I would share it. No real point but definitely a creative masterpiece! All surfers have been in search of or at least have dreamed of the Topless Mermaids. We're looking forward to part two!
Black Friday is near and we will be here so don’t fret!! Yes we will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 26th but we'll be open on Black Friday November 27th, from 11-4pm. The shop will be stocked and ready to accommodate your surfboard building needs.
Word on the street is that there are going to be some in store specials on some luxurious items such as the E-Z Finish Shaping Pad regularly $8.95 will be on sale for only $5.00! Resin Research Epoxy single and three gallon board kits will be 10% off. We also have the world famous E-Z Square on sale right now for only $24.95 marked down from $33.95 as well as the E-Z Calipers with Gaugemarked down to $74.95. In addition, the CF Planer will be on sale for $379.95 ($20 off). So cruise on by, take advantage of the savings, and stock up on goodies for yourself or for the board builder in the family.
Bobble Surfer Free is an iPhone app from Lemur Software that will help you get your wave fix when you can’t make it out to the ocean. It’s built on the tilt sensitivity of the iPhone, so tilting the phone left will turn the little surfer dude left and tilting the phone right will turn the dude right. The real trick is starting with the phone flat as tilting the phone “up” will stall the surfer and get you caught on the lip of the wave. (This is one of the downfalls of the game. You can’t play it in bed while lying on your back.) Also the game has a pumpin’ surf track to help keep you stoked as you work to build up speed to launch crazed aerials. This game has a similar feel to the old T&C surf game for the original Nintendo…if you remember that one.
The full version (.99¢) is now available in the US iTunes store. It has:
-New learn to surf mode with interactive lessons
-Compete against friends with global ranking systems
-Four all new unlockable breaks for a total of eight
-Grab the rails for harder turns and to score higher
-Choose from four different style boards (shortboard, fish, longboard, and funboard)
The newest high-tech product to the Foam E-Z family is the Gore Vent Plug. Now you can stop worrying about your EPS/Epoxy or Hollow Wood surfboard gassing and blowing up! It is the only vent on the market that is made entirely by W.L. Gore. The W.L. Gore design has the membrane bonded around the circumference using a very specialized process. This vent "breathes" constantly alleviating the need to open and close it. Or in worse case, your board soaking up water since you forgot to close it! The vent will flow 40 ml/minute max, and SUP's over 10' or hollow boards should use two (mid-board & near tail). Originally Gore designed this vent for sealed military electronics, so it meets very stringent spec's for a saltwater environment. This vent isn't an immunity to heat problem with EPS and Hollow Wood, and customers should understand that boards still cannot be left in the sun; especially upside down on your surf racks.
The Gore Vent Plugs come in two models:
Glass-In version is designed to be installed under the glass, directly into the foam.
Retro-Fit version is designed to be installed after the board has been glassed.
The Gore Vent Plugs are not cheap at $26.95, but are a great investment for your EPS/Epoxy or Hollow Wood surfboard especially if you want your board to last.
These plugs are another example of Foam E-Z's effort to carry the highest quality, made in the USA, surfboard building tools and products available. Feel free to let us know if you don't see something you're looking for on our site, most items are only a day away! We're open to all suggestions and comments so please let us know how we're doing.
Jeremy is a local HB guy, home board builder (Foam E-Z customer), artist, and film director. He is going to be featured at an art opening this Friday night November 13th from 7-10pm. The location is LeBasse Projects, 6032 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA.
Here's what he's been up to:
"I just finished the first installment of a new videos series we are doing at Modus Films.
It is gonna be a short abstract series called, "A Fly on the Wall". In this series we are taking a voyeuristic approach to the everyday life of people we know and are influenced by.
The first video is on me as I prepare for my show this Friday. I have 6 new pieces in the show!"
The show is open to the public, hope to see you there!
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.
Foam E-Z super employee Mark Bouvier will be hanging out at the shop tomorrow, Saturday November 7th. Just in case you don’t know the history Mark has worked for us at Foam E-Z for about three years. He became our "Saturday" Guy and nurtured his own and new clientele making them laugh with his dry sense of humor. He is a shaper and an artist, the Evolution Tee Shirt that debuted at the Foam E-Z Fifteen Year Party is his creation. If you haven't seen him lately it's because he got into a terrible car accident on Thursday July 9th, 2009 http://www.ocregister.com/articles/police-beach-huntington-2488973-head-taken. Basically he got rear ended and the car came down on top of him, crushing one side of his head! After removing a portion of his skull to drain some fluid Mark had it replaced on September 25th and has since been sent home from the hospital to rehab. He's had to relearn to speak and is rehabbing the rest of his body at this time. It's absolutely amazing how far he has come in such a short time (although to him I'm sure it seems like it's been forever). In the car with him at the time of the accident was his girlfriend Sarah who was pregnant with their first child. Thank god she walked away with barely a scratch. They have since had healthy-happy baby Jack on October 7th.
We hope many of you can come down and say hello to Mark. He would be stoked to see his Foam E-Z friends both old and new to talk shop. If he's not in the front of the shop when you arrive he will be in the "Shaping Box" coaching his Friend Dan as he shapes a new board.
We're working on plans for a benefit party for Mark in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned. In the meantime you can check out Mark's MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/cheaterfives or email him board building questions or good wishes at surfddout@yahoo.com.
That may not be completely true, or true at all, but it does kind of rule if you are using polyester resin. I’m a huge fan of the UV catalyst and I’ve been using it for about 3 years now, on and off, and have been getting it pretty dialed. I did a board the other day with a resin tint bottom, some additional resin tint splashes on the tail. I then did a resin tinted seal on the foam with multiple tints on the deck as well as doing glass on fins and finished it off with a two 4oz clear deck. I did the usual paste on the bottom and deck before hot coating the board and went 100% UV catalyst. After it was all said and done I only used a total of 2 ¾ quarts of resin and it only took about 3 ½ hours. Another bonus of using the UV catalyst is that the overpowering polyester resin smell doesn’t linger since the resin kicks off as soon as it hits the sun or ultra violet lights leaving less of a chance that a neighbor or family member will complain about the “smell” coming from the garage. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a strong “smell” however, it doesn’t linger as long. So there you go, if you are still hesitant to try it out, call us up and we’ll be more than happy to answer any additional questions.
One of my favorite things about being involved in the surf industry/working at Foam E-Z is meeting and getting to know new people, all kinds of people, from all different walks of life. Recently we have been selling board building supplies to an inmate at Pilot Rock State Prison in Crestline, California named Tony “Neptune” Stearns. This guy has gone through some rough times and made some poor decisions and has been in prison since 2001. One good decision he made was to turn his life around and do something positive with his time in prison and try to actively get involved in his rehabilitation. I have spoken to Tony a few times on the phone and the guy sounds amped about board building and his rehabilitation. I’m looking forward to more updates from “Neptune” and even meeting him soon in person to discuss his boards and board building in general. If anyone would like to contact him I know he would be stoked. You can send letters to him at:
Tony Stearns T-43417 P.O. Box 10 Crestline, CA 92325
This isn't the first time Foam E-Z has supplied prisoners with the supplies to build the board of their dreams. In the mid-nineties we were contacted by three Hawaiian inmates that were doing hard time in a Federal Penitentiary in Minnesota. We have pics and letters from them which we will elaborate on in a future post.
Keep up the good work Neptune. We're here for you!
Back by popular demand!!! The Japanese Curved Planer has not been around since Clark Foam went down in Dec 2005, but we've got them back in stock. Get them while they last!
Shapers love these little guys as they make it easy to cut the stringer in tight curved nose rockers. This plane fits perfect in the shapers hand and in the curve of the rocker. Extremely hard wood base with a high quality blade that can be sharpened many times. 1-1/8” X 3-3/4”; Imported from Japan.
If you missed Sacred Craft this year then you missed out. This years tribute was to legendary shaper Dick Brewer who also released his shaping DVD and the buzz was huge. His DVD covers template making, wood board shaping as well as standard blank shaping and yeah, we got ‘em!! He even gives Foam E-Z a shout out in the video. Back to Sacred Craft, it was only 5 bucks to get in and check out the latest shapes and designs from the big guys like Rusty and Merrick to the gurus like Karl Ekstrom and some throwback shapes from the hipsters at Gato Heroi. There were boards made out of all kinds of materials from epoxy to poly, Alaias, carbon fiber, you name it and it was there.
Not only are there cutting edge shapes and designs but at the show the shapers themselves are there to talk shop with the consumers and sign autographs. Check out some of the pics and you’ll see that everyone was in good spirits and really feeding off of the energy of the show.
We also participated in an epoxy glassing demo with Dave Daum from Kings stand up paddle and raffled off some shirts, hats, and even a single board epoxy kit and 10 yards of cloth! I was honored to be involved with such a great guy as Dave who has 30 + years of experience in the industry. We laminated the deck and bottom of an EPS blank to a packed room and it was a great lesson from a seasoned pro.
After that we cruised around to schmooze with some other dudes like Jeff Clark, the dudes at Marko, and even Dick Brewer. Brewer made several appearances in the two shape rooms while other shapers such as Gary Linden, Pat Rawson, and Dennis Murphy exhibited their shaping wizardry to large crowds packed around the clear shaping booths.
It was awesome to see the way a master craftsman like these guys move around the board and turn a blank into magic in only one hour.
Two days of talking shop and soaking up knowledge from an elite crew of legendary shapers, and looking at thousands of new shapes is enough to get anyone amped on shaping and frothing to get back in a shape room. Happy shaping.
Hey everybody. Just checking in to give you all a heads up on Sacred Craft this weekend, we are going to be down at the expo on October 10th and 11th so come on down and see us, therefore Foam E-Z will be closed on Saturday. There will also be legendary shapers Pat Rawson, Gary Linden, Dennis Murphy, Ricky Carroll, and Reno Abellira shaping and showing some legendary skill as well as a tribute to Dick Brewer. We are going to have our products down there as well as some coupons that can be used back at the shop. You can find us snuggled up next to US Blanks or just look for the air borne blank with our name on it. Besides the regular booth deal we will also be taking part in an awesome Resin Research Epoxy hand glassing demo with craftsman Dave Daum at 1:30pm on Saturday and 10am Sunday in the Bubble Gum Surf Wax room. I know a lot of people are hesitant to use epoxy for one reason or another so this will be a great demo to check out and get those questions answered by a true pro. Besides that, did I mention we will have giveaways all weekend? Yeah, so cruise on down and hang with us this weekend while we check out some cutting edge technology and pay tribute to some of the original fellas.
