Grant In The CooperFish Booth During Sacred Craft Oct 2011!

Well Grant was at it again! He just can't control himself. What do you expect after all the hard hitting interviews Grant just needed to have a little fun. He decided to stop in to the CooperFish booth and chat with the CooperFish Calendar girl. Check out the video .

TRANSPARENTSEA, For A Good Cause!

I don't know if you have seen what TRANSPARENTSEA is all about but it's pretty rad. A cool group of ocean lovers (surfers, etc...) are making there way from Santa Barbara to San Diego on these cool little Hobie water crafts powered by wind and pedals! The crew will make their journey by sail following the migration of the grey whales along the southern California coastline. On the way the crew will come to port for four major regional events. Each night hosting Minds in The Water movie screening, followed by live in concert Band of Frequencies, art show & auction and in support Surfer’s for Cetaceans (S4C) and other ocean minded charities.

Minds in the Water is a feature-length documentary following the quest of professional surfer Dave Rastovich and his friends to protect dolphins, whales and the oceans they all share. Through Dave's journey - a five-year adventure spanning the globe from Australia to the Galapagos, Tonga, California, Alaska and Japan - we see one surfer's quest to activate his community to help protect the ocean and it's inhabitants from the threats of commercial slaughter and pollution.



TransparentSea is an awareness campaign aimed at highlighting coastal environmental issues, with particular attention given to cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and the waters they inhabit.

The first journey (Byron Bay to Bondi, Australia, 2009) successfully highlighted the plight of humpback whales and the threat faced by Japanese whaling fleets.

The second (California, October, 2011) traces the southern migration of the California Grey Whale from Santa Barbara to Baja, Mexico with an emphasis on engaging key coastal community groups and drawing awareness to the causes they support.

Check it out!

Sacred Craft Interview with Sarah from Rainbow Fins

Here's another hard hitting interview from Sacred Craft Fall 2011. Based out of the Santa Cruz area, Rainbow fins has been making fins since the late sixties. This is a family business, Glen (the dad) is the chief designer in the shop while Sarah (daughter) is out on the road selling these beautiful fins. Their specialty is their "Stained Glass" Fins which are a one of a kind art piece. They make the full range of fins from keels to SUP fins. Come on by and the fins out.

Sacred Craft Interview with Rusty (Surfboards)

We had a great time at Sacred Craft this past weekend! Hope you had a chance to attend. We were lucky enough to make some time to roam around and get some killer interviews. Check this one with Rusty of Rusty Surfboards.

Sacred Craft Interviews This Weekend October 8th-9th!!

Sacred Craft is back at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and we’ll be there, October 8th and 9th! We’re going to be teaming up with the fellas over at Solspot.com to bring you (almost) LIVE VIDEO interviews and updates throughout both days of the show.
If you can make it then head on down. It’s well worth the drive for getting a face full of knowledge from some of the industry leaders and other wacky dudes like Carl Eckstrom, whom they’ll be honoring at this show.
If you've been to the shows in the past then you know we really whoop it up with lot's of giveaways and killer "show special" pricing on our one of kind board building supplies. You might be asking yourself what else will be going on at the show? Here's a short list of some of the bitchen activities:

* Tribute to the Masters Shape-off honoring Carl Ekstrom presented by US Blanks
* Billabong’s Art of Shaping Auction LA County Edition
* The REEF Redemption Sustainable Craft Showcase
* Art Grotto produced by Matt Beard benefiting SurfAid International
* The Soul Project Quivers Lounge
* Korduroy.TV short films lounge
* Plenty of aloha with PRIMO Beer flowing
* Book signings “No Bad Waves” by Mickey Munoz in the Patagonia booth, and Chris Dixon author of the new Cortes Bank book entitled “Ghost Wave”.
* Roadshow style collect-able surfboard & memoriblia expert appraisals (Sat only)
* Live music featuring Seth Petterson, Boo Stubbs & One Shot Wonder, Boaz Jazz Troupe, Kevin White Pacific Jazz Guitar featuring Bridget Eliza on vocal , and more
* Longboard skate zone feature LOST Skateboards slalom challenge open to the public.
* Great deals on surfboards, gear and art
* Sunday morning demo the boards of Sacred Craft at 15th St Del Mar 7a-10am

Make sure to follow our blog "What The Blank?"or log onto Surf.Solspot.com for all of the video updates from Sacred Craft Del Mar 2011.

ACCIDENTAL ICON: THE REAL GIDGET STORY

Indie Film Distributor Level 33 Entertainment announces the release of the documentary film ACCIDENTAL ICON: THE REAL GIDGET STORY on DVD and VOD.

'ACCIDENTAL ICON' tells the story behind the world famous book and film franchise that brought surfing to the masses more than half a century ago.

In the summer of 1956, Los Angeles teenager Kathy Kohner
discovered Malibu, boys and surfing. She had so much fun with Malibu surfing locals who sported handles likes Kahuna, Moondoggie and Tubesteak that she wrote it all down in her diary and showed it to her father, screenwriter Frederick Kohner. The rest is history, as they say, with the book becoming a bestseller and inspiringna string of movies and TV series that spanned more than 30 years.

The film is narrated by Jorja Fox (CSI) and includes appearances by Academy Award® winners Sally Field and the late Cliff Robertson, Gregory Harrison, pro surfers such as Layne Beachley, Holly Beck, Summer Romero, and many more.

The film has screened at several film festivals and most recently on Southern California's KCET. The movie is now available on DVD everywhere and will soon be available on VOD, PPV, and iTunes.

PROS AND WHAT THEY RIDE!

We have pro surfers come through our shop from time to time and it's always interesting to hear what they got to say about their boards. Some guys work closely with their shapers, some just leave the guess work up to their shaper, but the bottom line is these guys are riding potato chip thin boards with unforgiving rails and ripping on them! I thought it would be interesting to see what some of the pros were riding this past week down at the Hurley Pro in Trestles . Here is a small cross section of the guys and their boards. Obviously some are more tuned into their sleds than others. Enjoy the vids!

PAT GADAUSKAS


View this video at Hurley.com

MICK FANNING


View this video at Hurley.com

MICHEL BOUREZ


View this video at Hurley.com

BEDE DURBIDGE


View this video at Hurley.com

FUTURE FINS COLORED BOXES, FUN STUFF!

Custom paint, graphics, drawings, and glassing have always been fun ways to personalize your board. Now you can add Colored Fin Boxes to that list thanks to the magical mystical wizards over at Futures Fins. Besides offering 7 new colors (Red, Neon Orange, Neon Yellow, Lime Green, Blue, Purple, Black), they have also redesigned their boxes to be lighter and stronger bringing fashion and engineering together to make us all cooler than ever. Check our boy Grant starring as "The Fin Connoisseur" in the official Future Fins video release:



Introducing the new colored boxes from Futures with Interwoven Laminate Technology (ILT). The lightest, strongest fin system in the world now bonds even better to the skin of your board. The cutouts in the ILT Box create a stronger bond without increasing weight, because resin is interwoven between the flange of the box and the fiberglass of the board. The interwoven resin forms pillars that lock the fiberglass to the flange with a solid physical connection. Our colored ILT boxes are all made right here in Huntington Beach, CA, and are available in a full range of colors, including red, orange, yellow, lime-green, green, blue, purple, and black.

10% OFF STORE-WIDE THIS LABOR DAY!!!

Labor Day, it’s a time to relax, reflect, Bar-b-q, hang out at the beach, or... you could catch up on the important things like, ding repair or shaping a new stick. We want to help you out by offering a one-day sale of 10% off store-wide on Monday the 5^th of September. If you aren’t able to stop in then place your order online and when you check out enter the code EZLABOR2011 to receive 10% off your order. One use per customer, not valid on phone orders. We’ll be here “laboring” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. pacific standard time so come by or order online and take advantage of the savings.

Whatever you do remember to enjoy your day!

Thanks for your continued support-

The Foam E-Z Crew

Stretch And Nathan Fletcher Chat It Up!

Take what you want from this video. Both guys are real knowledgeable about surfboards and definitely about shaping. Nathan Fletcher buys his tools and materials from us from time to time. We've been lucky enough to hang out with Stretch a few times and collaborate on different projects. Check out the Marko Foam blank in the background. Stretch has been dedicated to using EPS even before Clark Foam shut down and Marko Foam is his foam of choice.

Hopefully Part 2 will have more information, we'll have to see!

Manufacturing Stoke!

Hi all,

Clay from Marko Foam is hosting the movie Manufacturing Stoke at his "Boat House" building at 1640 Pomona Ave Costa Mesa, Ca. 92627.

Come join us Tomorrow, Thursday August 4th for the Orange County premier of Manufacturing Stoke, a movie brought to you by Misfit Pictures, highlighting the current status of surfboard manufacturing from sustainability to responsibility.

Go to www.manufacturingstoke.com to pre-purchase a ticket or come pay at the door,

Adults are $10 a ticket and groms are $5. Proceeds help support the sustainability movement.

Come early for happy hour, Seabirds truck will pull in at 5:30.

See you there!

Bunger Surfboards - Since 1962!!!

We found this great article about Tom Bunger of Bunger Surf on Long Island NY. Tom has been a great customer of ours since 1998. Check it out:


"IN THE SHACK" with Tom Bunger By: Paul Di Marco
When I hear the word September, I think about Hurricanes, hollow barrels, warm water, and New York. Yep New York! I have so many great memories of epic surf on Long Island, New York that I’m not sure if anything could ever replace them. This September is the first ever ASP World Championship to be held on the East Coast of the U.S., The Quiksilver Pro New York. The contest will be kicking off in Long Beach and pros from around the world will be competing for the biggest prize purse in surfing history- $1 million dollars!

With all the East Coast hype, I felt like the next “In The Shack” should focus on New York Board Shaper, Tom Bunger. Tommy is a busy guy between raising his kids and running the Bunger Surf Board Factory. His family owns one of the oldest surf shops in the North East, Bunger Surf Shop. They have been shaping boards for 50 years, delivering style and culture to Long Island’s surf community. Charlie Bunger, Tom’s dad has been shaping surfboards since 1962 and during the 1990’s, Tom Bunger finally picked up the Skill Planer and started shaping under the Bunger Brand.

This “In the Shack” interview was not easy. Tom is a busy bee shaping boards and working hard…..special thanks to Tom’s awesome wife, Agnès for all her help with this interview. It just shows behind every great man stands a great woman!


NickName: Tommy

Home Town and Break: Gilgo Beach, Long Island, New York

Where did you grow up? West Gilgo Beach, Babylon, New York

How old were you when you started surfing? I was nine when I got my first board, but I was always using long boards lying around at the beach.
Who or what inspired you to start shaping surfboards And when? My Father inspired me to start shaping. He gave me a Skill Planer and a blank. He showed me how to template it and cut it out, then said "shape it".

Go back to the first board you shaped and tell us about it- size, shape and any issues you had with it. A 6’8” Short Board. It worked well. The rails were a little too down which made it fast, but trailed a little bit.

What makes your short boards different? Also explain the mechanics of shaping a board for getting airs? Bunger Boards are hand shaped, glassed and finished with my hands only. Most of my short boards are designed for getting maximum speed and airs.

Tell us about this new era of short boards and what’s to come from Bunger? Everything is getting shorter and wider; the West Coast finally figured it out. We’ve been shaping boards like this for a while now.

What type of materials do you use, glass, fins, form? All the best resins and cloth made in the USA.

Who does your art? I do most of the art on the boards I shape. For the crazy stuff I bring in Tim Van Wyne. His work is amazing!
Who also shapes under the Bunger name? We have a few guys shaping for us, Squeak from Phoenix Surfboards, Bo Hawkins from Hawk Surfboards and team Phil.

How do you feel about computers designing boards versus handmade boards? If you want the same board as everyone else, then I guess it’s okay,but every surfer is different and needs something different.

What advice would you give people looking for the right surfboard? Be honest with your ability; look for something with the right balance for all the conditions.
What was your First Board? My first surfboard was a 6’8” BUNGER

Goofy or Reg? Reg.
What’s your favorite type of board to shape? I like making all types of boards, but my favorites are the boards I make for the team riders and my friends.

Does any other family members shape besides you and your Dad? Nope they help run the shop.

How can I order a custom board? It’s simple, call the shop or blast me an email to discuss what type of surfer you are and what type of board you need. 631-321-7753
Do you ship a lot of boards out of state? Nope we don’t ship too many boards out of state, but we will and have before.

Bring us back to your childhood. What do you remember about your dad shaping and surfing as a kid? I remember seeing my Dad covered in foam dust and I was like “ I wanna do that when I get older".

Who rides for Team Bunger? Corey Stanton, Chris Tomlin, Alex Fawess, Graham Eickelberg and Matt Wunderlich

How do you feel about the ASP Tour coming to NY? It’s about time they recognized us!

Do you have any advice for Groms? Respect your Elders

Beer, Booze or wine? Beer and wine

Haters should? Hate themselves

Where can Atlantic Surf Life find Tommy Bunger during the winter? Rincon, PR or France

Do you still surf the coldest days? Yes only when it’s pumping and sunny.
What’s the biggest wave you've ever ridden? Where? Mexico, Solid 10 foot at the Mex Pipe.

Best surf trip ever? Hawaii

Go-to board when it's double over head and pumping? 6’10” Pin Tail

What’s your Magic Board in small surf? I ride an old classic Bunger 360, but I mostly work when it’s small.

When your not surfing or shaping? Hanging with Family.

What inspires you when you shape? Knowing that a customer is going to get full enjoyment out of my boards.

Favorite Food? Tartiflette (French Food)

What’s playing in the factory? We play it all and we play it loud!

Website? www.bungersurf.com, www.lisurfingmuseum.com, www. bungersayville.com

Facebook? Bunger surf boards (Since 1962 Tom Bunger)

Email: bunger@optonline.net

Closing statement? Support your local shaper and buy American made products.

SolSpot New HD Camera and FREE Beer Launch Party!!!

The guys over at Surf.Solspot.com are launching their 13th FREE HD camera this week and doing it with style. They are throwing a camera launch party at The Longboard Restaurant this Thursday (21st) and are giving away FREE BEER to the first 100 people in attendance. It fits in nicely with their company motto – everything free!

The camera looks at the south side of HB pier and then pans all the way down towards Beach Blvd. Plenty of ripable faces in that area! You can check out the cam at http://surf.solspot.com/wahoos

Cheers to FREE HD CAMS & cheers to FREE BEER!

New Island Fins In Stock, Check em' Out!

Island Fin Design owner, Steve Mock, stopped by our shop the other day to show us what he's been working on. He has been making surfboard fins in Hawaii since the early 1980's for some of the biggest names on the North Shore. Dick Brewer, Bonga Perkins, and Garrett McNamara are just a few that look to him for his quality glass on and box fins. Solid colored fins are common place in the surfboard market, so Steve decided to go with a more custom look that will give your board that little something extra. These beautiful multi-colored fins are reasonably priced ($59.95-$71.95) and hand made right here in the good old US of A…well actually on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Come by and check them out or call/email us and we can ship the fins to you. We’re proud to carry Steve's fins here at Foam E-Z.

SUMMER SIZZLER, BOARD SWAP AND 15% OFF SALE JULY 16th!!!

We are having a Summer Sizzler and Board Swap on Saturday July 16th from 10-3pm. There will be FREE food, music, a great selection of boards for sale, and 15% off SALE STORE-WIDE (excluding power-tools)! This is a great opportunity to get a new, used or vintage board, nothing over $500! Cash & Carry which means there’s no tax! Call or email us if you have a board(s) that you’d like to sell at the event! Look forward to seeing you. Stayed tuned for more details.

Rob Machado Fins by Futures!

The Rob Machado signature fins are available to the public and are in stock at Foam E-Z. They look really awesome and have similar construction to the Black Stix but are made with renewable resources.

After nearly 10 years of riding the Futures system, Rob Machado has signed off on his first ever signature fin. The collaboration between Rob and Futures is the perfect blend of cutting edge hydrodynamics and environmental sustainability.

Rob’s fin features a torsional flex pattern, thanks to Futures’ V2 foil and a layer of strategically placed carbon fiber. Combined with renewable, fast growing bamboo, the fin is both light and lively. Designed for Rob’s explosive style, the bamboo carbon matrix stores potential energy and releases it as a burst of kinetic speed.

Rob had been riding the V2 AM1 BlackStix for years, he said, “I knew that was a good starting point for me in designing a fin. I just really liked the flex that the BlackStix had. I don’t know exactly what it does but it feels good. I am more of a feel kind of person, you know… sometimes it just feels good.”

“We have been lucky to work with Rob and we are proud of how this fin turned out,” says Head Designer and Founder Vince Longo.

Rob’s fin is made of a high quality epoxy resin, instead of polyester. Not only is epoxy resin stiffer, lighter and better performing, it is also more resilient and releases less VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds).

The Rob Machado Signature Fin represents a step forward in decreasing the environmental impact of the resin transfer process, while remaining Strongest, Lightest, Fastest.

SUPER SAP CERTIFIED AS BIO_BASED!

Entropy Resins is pleased to announce that its Super Sap® 100/1000 System has been certified as a USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) certified bio-based product.

The USDA Bio-PreferredSM Program is a voluntary labeling program used to certify consumer bio-based products in the U.S. The certification uses the ASTM D6866 standard to measure the biobased carbon atoms in a product. "With so many products in the market place being sold as 'bio-based', it's difficult today for customers to distinguish between what is real and what is green-washing", states Entropy CEO, Desi Banatao. "With the ASTM certified 37% biobased carbon measurement for our Super Sap 100/1000 system, and our calculated total bio-mass of 50% which includes the bio-based oxygen and nitrogen atoms, we are walking the walk and setting the bar for our industry", states Banatao.
From their start in 2009, Entropy Resins has pushed the boundaries of what can be done with bio-based materials to create strong, durable, and lightweight performance composites. Today, their customers range from artists and hobbyists, to sporting goods manufacturers and wind energy. Entropy Resins and the USDA BioPreferred Certification Program sets the next standard in verifying biobased content for sustainable performance composite resins.

The Entropy Bio-Epoxy has similar working times to the Resin Research Epoxy and the clear resin is very clear. If you want to reduce your board building carbon footprint this along with Marko Foam's EnviroFoam is a great place to start! Come on by or give us a call for more info.

Lincoln Logs by Jacob Young

Jacob Young came to our shop a while back and seemed to know what he wanted right out of the gun. He bought a blank and booked a couple of sessions with Grant in the Shape Box. Jacob had a great feel for the surfboard and caught on quick. His first finished shape was a success! Not only does he shape surfboards but also shapes handplanes. Apparently Jacob is a direct relative of Abe Lincoln (former president), therefore he used the name for his surfboard brand. Check out his blog you'll see he's a pretty creative guy and seems to be years ahead of himself. Keep up the great work!

FUTURE'S TOUR, High Tech!

We've been down to Future Fins so many times that almost didn't notice all that's going on! The boys down at the factory put together this great video for everyone to see. It is an awesome insight of the daily happenings and also a little view of their incredible surf team shredding it up. We appreciate the behind the scenes look at the high tech world of removable fins done the Future way. Check the video!

Pottz Is In The House!!!

Martin "Pottz" Potter was recently in town to pick up his new board from Tim Stamps, that's right, Tim made Pottz a killer new stick. They met a few months back while Stamps was visiting/shaping on the Gold Coast of Aus. I asked Tim how the whole thing transpired and here's what he said: "I talked Pottz into ordering a board after spending the day watching the Snapper Rocks contest and putting down a few coldies."



Potter was passing through on his way to Peru for the ISA Worlds Junior Champs. I just talked to Pottz and he told me that this event is the event that has spawned some of our top talent on the WQS, names like Owen Wright, Jordy Smith, Steff Gilmore, and many more. This event is for kids under 16 and involves 26 to 28 different countries around the world. Pottz has been working for Quiksilver since 2000, helping to develop their youth team riders. He also announces at various Quiksilver events around the world. David Scales' from 1HOURINHB was lucky enough to hook up with Martin Potter too. David shot the below video as Pottz worked with a couple groms giving them Pro advice before they head down to Peru. Mar Ohno of Japan also came by to lend his WQS experience.



Here's a little history on Martin Potter:

Potter began surfing in Durban, South Africa, at age 10. By 15, he took the world by storm, defeating Shaun Tomson to win his first professional contest and finishing second in his first two IPS events. The following winter at the Pipe Masters, he outlasted the meanest tube of the winter, a 12-foot screamer that delivered him into stardom.

Through the '80s, he was a card-carrying member of the Big Four, along with Tom Curren, Tom Carroll and Mark Occhilupo. His fluid, powerful, radical style -- an unheard combination -- made him one of the most admired surfers anywhere, rippling several generations after. He also helped pioneer aerials, although his were fluid extensions of powerful off-the-tops rather than the forecast hip-hop tricks of today. A teenaged Kelly Slater even patterned his style after Potter's, plastering his walls with shots of Potter putting his trademark green-and-yellow explosion boards through their paces.