Seal Beach and Long Beach Surfing Pioneers

What an awesome night in the history of Seal beach! Thursday September 25th at 7:30pm some of Seal Beach and Long Beach's earliest surf pioneers got together for a Q & A session. Some of the panel members included Harold Walker, Bob "Ole" Olson, Harry Schurch.

Harold Walker of Walker Foam was one of the pioneers in making polyurethane foam cores back in the early sixties. He competed with Clark Foam for forty plus years until finally going out of business in 2007. He is now working with Ice Nine to try to perfect their foam formulas.


Ole is famous as an early master craftsman of surfboards in the beginning foam era. He still makes surfboards in Maui under the Ole name. Ole flew out to Seal Beach to join his old buddies to talk about Seal Beach surfing days.

Another of the legendary crew is Harry Schurch. He was involved in that first attempt at surfing Waimea Nov of 1957 with Greg Noll, Micky Munoz, and Mike Stange. They all paddled out in 15 to 18 foot Waimea Bay on 40 pound planks in an attempt to survive the massive drop.

Shaping and Seal beach legend Rich Harbour attended the discussion that included many hilarious stories from the boys. Of course everyone had something to say about the notorious and ever present Sphinx. It stood on top of Blackie Augusts (Robert Augusts' Dad) house for some forty plus years. They told about how they would show up at the beach to go surfing and there wouldn't be anyone else in the water so they would have to wait until a buddy arrived to adventure out. There were endless classic stories from this eventful Seal Beach night. Unfortunately two guys from the main crew ,Jack Haley Sr. and Lloyd Murray, were not present (having passed away in recent years) but they were memorialized in the many stories.

SEAWORTHY

Shelter Surf Shop ended there summer film series this past Saturday with there premier of the Australian surf film Seaworthy. The film was a good representation of Australian surfers getting back to the roots of surfing.The film had footage of everything from Tom Wegener surfing a 16 foot Alaia, to Beau Young surfing on a Simmons fish he shaped with his father. The night was capped off by live music from the Tijuana Panthers, and the Shakas and Single fins photo show. Thanks to the crew at Shelter for putting on a great party, can't wait until next summer!
Reported by RadRob

Foothill-South 241 Toll Road Fails to Meet Criteria for Bush Administration Override

Elected Officials and Save San Onofre Coalition Voice Strong Opposition To Toll Road Through San Onofre State Beach

DEL MAR, Calif., Sept 22, 2008 In an eight-plus hour event and with more than 3,000 toll road opponents in attendance, state and local elected officials and members of the Save San Onofre Coalition spoke before three Bush Administration officials overseeing a Commerce Department hearing on the Foothill-South Toll Road.

"The people of Orange and San Diego Counties reject this road," commented Bobby Shriver, Santa Monica Councilman and former president of the California State Park and Recreation Commission. "They have proved that by showing up in huge numbers at the Parks Commission hearings, at the Coastal Commission hearing and again today at the Commerce Department hearing."

Testimony focused on how the toll road fails to meet the Commerce Department's specific criteria to overturn the California Coastal Commission's Feb. 2008 decision against the project. Some notables testifying included: California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer; State Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego); Santa Monica Councilman Bobby Shriver; Irvine Councilman Larry Agran, who as a TCA board member cast a vote against the proposed toll road alignment; and San Diego Councilwoman Donna Frye.

"There is no compelling national interest to over-ride the California Coastal Commission, the toll road fails to meet the criteria for an override, and the proposed toll road's adverse impacts outweigh the purported and questionable benefits of this project," Lockyer stated in his testimony at today's hearing. "Reasonable alternatives exist that both TCA and the Federal Highway Administration have refused to explore adequately."

"No credible basis exists to believe the TCA's 11th hour claim that its project is essential to national security. The Marine Corps has publicly rejected the claim, presumably because running a toll road through Camp Pendleton would inevitably impede, not improve, our military readiness," added Lockyer.

"The TCA and the politicians comprising its board provided no new information that supports a Bush Administration override of the State of California," stated Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the California State Parks Foundation and member of the Save San Onofre Coalition. "For the TCA, a single-purpose agency focused solely on building and operating toll roads, to select a route through the 5th most popular state park in California is a bad idea...one that must be stopped."

Big Props to all those who went to the hearing!!!
.

SAVE TRESTLES TODAY!

Please go to the Commerce Dept. Hearing on the Toll Road - You are Needed

Where : Del Mar Fairgrounds
When: TODAY September 22, 2008 ~10:30 A.M. - 8:30 P.M.

WHAT: A public hearing regarding the toll road through San Onofre State Beach. Throngs of toll road opponents gathering to ensure the Federal Government upholds the decision made by the California Coastal Commission--no toll roads through state parks!

WHEN: Monday September 22, 2008. The hearing is from 10:30am-8:30pm. Of course, we would like everyone to attend all day (take a sick day, like the rest of us: ) or come for at least a few hours.
WHERE: O'Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. Del Mar, CA 92014. Just off the I-5 in Del Mar at Via de la Valle exit.Do you have friends who are out of state and can't come? They can stay updated throughout the day. http://twitter.com/savetrestles

Agenda for Hearing:

Surfrider, and our partners, will be providing supporters with tee shirts and other goodies (first come, first served). We will have food coupons to distribute to those who sign in at the welcome booth. Since we are a nonprofit, it's hard to feed everyone huge meals, but we do want to make sure that our supporters are taken care of and have sustained energy to be at the hearing all day. Upon arriving, please check in at the welcome booth to receive your tee shirts and food coupons. Please note the following agenda is a rough estimate.

• 10:30am-1:30pm: Testimony from Elected Officials. There are several outstanding elected officials speaking on our behalf including Bobby Shriver, Donna Frye, Bill Lockyer and others.

• 1:30pm-2pm: Testimony from Organizations. Surfrider Foundation and other interesting organizations will be heard during the next few hours.

• 2:00-2:30: Official Hearing Break. We are having a rally in the pavilion area behind O'Brien hallcome and learn more about how the day will go and what to expect.

• 2:30-5:00: Continued Testimony from Organizations and Native American Tribes.

• 5:00-5:30: Official Hearing Break. Please be sure to visit our letter writing station during the break. We want to fill the drop boxes with letters opposing the toll road.

• 5:30-8:30: During this time, organizations will finish speaking and the general public will begin testimony. It's challenging to say exactly what time the general public will speak. As you know, not everyone from the public will be able to speak since the meeting ends exactly at 8:30pm. See the list of speakers below.

• 8:30pm-9pm: Meet us outside of the O'Brien hall as we gather to celebrate our efforts, enjoy acoustic music, and listen to special guest speakers. Recognized singer-songwriter Steve Ybarra will play music which has been featured on radio and television across the country. Shaun Tomson, World Champion Surfer, will be our featured guest speaker. Upon listening to Shaun, we will hear from prominent environmental leaders. As you know, there will not be a decision made at the hearing, so it's important that we come together to ‘celebrate our efforts of the day' and begin to look forward! We expect the Federal Government will make their decision by then end of the fall/early winter.

View list of speakers: click here If you plan to drive yourself please note that the Del Mar Fairgrounds charges $9 for parking. Check out carpool belwo. Please pass this around to everyone who cares about protecting our State Parks! We need thousands of people to attend!

Also, please review guidelines for the hearing. click here Attending hearing is much like being in a court room; we need to be calm, cool and collected. We can't cheer, hold our signs above our heads, or be distracting. Read the rules--they are long, but they say it all! See you on Monday Sept 22 at Del Mar…


Your pals at Surfrider,

GET READY TO SAVE TRESTLES

The Toll Road hearing, Next Monday, Sept 22

Dear Trestles Supporters the hearing is fast approaching.

We need you to bring your friends and family! As we saw at the Coastal Commission hearing, when over 3,000 people show up and demand protection of Panhe, San Onofre and Trestles, decision makers listen! We cannot let the Bush administration overturn a decision that has already been made in California. Get ready! It's time to gather and defend our sacred place.

Hopefully you have had a chance to read the hearing procedures: click here Hand-held sings need be a specific dimension (13 x 22 inches). Surfrider will be setting up sign-making stations to ensure everyone has "the right sized signs"; and we'll also be passing out signs already made.

Since the hearing will go ‘all day', we are creating interactive stations and planning fun activities outside the hearing (such as, face painting for the kids, frisbee, hacky sack, and of course letter writing stations)! If you can't come for the entire day, please stop by for a bit--just coming for an hour or two CAN make a difference--at this point, public pressure is key to stopping this toll road.

At the hearing, there will be "drop boxes" for letters and we need to fill them up! If you have friends who cannot come, please let them know you can hand-deliver a letter for them.

Surfrider, and our partners, will be providing supporters with tee shirts and other goodies (first come, first served). Upon arriving, please check in at the welcome booth.

During the hearing break (scheduled at 2pm), we are planning a rally with special speakers. We will also gather briefly after the hearing to re-cap the day and celebrate our efforts!

We have space in our bus/carpool. If you are coming from Orange County, email Robin: robin.everett@sierraclub.org. If you are in San Diego, email: savetrestles@surfrider.org and indicate if you would like to leave from Ocean Beach or Oceanside. If you are driving yourself, please note there is a $9 parking fee.

Don't forget our street corner demonstration on Sunday before the hearing. September 21st--9am: Street San Elijo Ave and Chesterfield Dr, in Cardiff, CA. Meet us on the corner of San Elijo and Chesterfield in Cardiff, CA (near the Patagonia store). Patagonia Address: 2185 San Elijo Ave Cardiff By Sea, CA 92007.

Thanks for your continued support and see you on Sept 22!

Aloha Midget

Quote: "I'd like to think that I've steered a couple of guys to the right path on their careers … like Dino Andino and Andy Fomenko, two guys that actually wound up having a career and making some money at it and turned out to be really nice human beings." -Jeff 'Midget' Smith

SACRED CRAFT 2

If you missed it last year you should make a point to attend the Sacred Craft Surf Show this October 11-12. This event is for you it is a CONSUMER SURFBOARD EXPO. The show will have another TRIBUTE TO THE MASTERS SHAPE-OFF this time honoring Bill Caster. Each shaper has one and a half hours in the shaping bay during the SACRED CRAFT Consumer Surfboard Expo to replicate a classic CASTER shape (which will be on display for all to see). Each shaper will start with the same exact blank and outline. The shaping will take place on each day of the show in the portable shaping bay on the show floor at the SACRED CRAFT Consumer Surfboard Expo.
The finished, anonymous blanks will then be judged.

There will be a number of seminars:
Tentative Seminar/Panel Discussion Schedule

SATURDAY -
11:30am ROBERT AUGUST / WINGNUT: Longboard quivers QnA with Endless Summer II stars


12:45pm DAVID RENSIN: Author of "All For A Few Perfect Waves: The Audacious Life and Times of Rebel Surfer Miki Dora" Biographer QnA; Book signing


2pm JON STILLMAN/HAROLD WALKER: Foam - Past Present & Future


3:15pm TOM WEGENER- The Alaia; past to present wave sliding perspective


4:30pm SURF MOVIE: Special screening of "Between The Lines"


SUNDAY-
10:30am AKEENA SOLAR: Going green with solar is easier and more cost effective than ever


11:15 am LEE VAN DER HURST - SWAYLOCKS: Swaylocks and the home surfboard builder - A resource for your questions.


1:30 pm DREW BROPHY - Artist extrodinaire. Paint pens explained.





CRAFTSMAN EXPRESSION SESSION FOR CHARITY presented by HANSEN SURFBOARDS
* Matt Biolos, Ron House, Craig Hollingsworth, Dave Daum, Danny Hess, Jim Phillips/Headline Graphics, Gary Hanel/Moonlight Glassing, Stu Kenson
* Boards on display/silent auction and voted on by expo goers and TMSO shapers. Boards then on display at Hansen Surfboards for one month


Check out http://www.sacredcraftexpo.com/ for more info.

Hope to see you there. BE SURE TO STOP BY OUR BOOTH FOR SOME FREE GOODIES!!!!!

Brad

RIP Midget

Surfer/Shaper Midget Smith lost his battle with cancer yesterday. The San Clemente local passed away at his home surrounded by his family and close friends. Smith was first diagnosed with the deadly disease over 20 years ago and beat it. His cancer then came back in the last year and he had been fighting it ever since. Midget Smith also was the head judge for the ASP North America and played a major role in the San Clemente progressive surfing movement back in the 1970’s and 80’s. RIP Midget Smith.

Cool Custom Colored Blanks!

Check these polyurethane blanks from US Blanks. This is just a small idea of the possibilities for your next custom surfboard blank. Most custom blanks take only one week to arrive! Let us know if you'd like to customize your next blank.

CUSTOM BLANKS!!!

Just letting everyone know that we can get custom blanks from US Blanks with a one to two week lead time. We can get any blank with any stringer configuration using red cedar, basswood, balsa wood, colored foam, and spruce. They are even doing entire boards in colored foam. Along with the stringers and colored foam custom rockers are no problem. Give us a call or email with your custom idea and we can get you a quote. We will continue to post pics of the different custom blanks that come in.

Look forward to seeing what cool custom blanks you guys come up with.

Brad

The ultimate shaping block is here!

Just in, FlexPad has made the E-Z Shaping Block exclusively for us. This Shaping Block is a multi functional shaping tool. Use the balsa side with 40grit sandpaper for hard sanding, use the Soft Yellow Pad side with sandpaper or screen for smoothing out bumps, or change out to the Blue Softie Pad with screen for finish sanding. The block is made of balsa wood and comes stock with a Velcro Soft Yellow Replaceable Foam Pad. Stop by and check one out.

ProBox is in full force here at Foam E-Z!

If you're looking for ProBox fins, boxes, install kits etc... we now have it all in stock and can be found on our website under Fins & Fin Systems. If you can't find the fins you're looking for call or email us and we can have them here for you usually within two days.

ProBox addresses many of the shortcomings of existing systems in the surfboard marketplace. Adjustments can be made to the fin position forward and backward and the cant [fin angle]. These adjustments allow the performance of a surfboard to be tuned to the conditions, type of surfboard or rider. The fin cant is adjusted through a revolutionary patented insert mechanism that provides controlled angles, initially 4 different inserts are provided 0°, 4°, 6°, and 8°.

This fin system is very easy to install with a minimum of tooling. A single reusable jig is used to handle the alignment, routing, and anchoring of the box during the installation process. No fin is required to install the box as the jig correctly locates the box on the board while suspending it over the routed hole. These jigs are extremely inexpensive and reusable!

Surfboard Design Workshop with Bill Thrailkill

Here's a little slide show from the Workshop this past Saturday June 7th at the Surfing Heritage Museum in San Clemente. Enjoy!

UV Polyester Resin Laminating Demo at Foam E-Z

Check out some footage of Dave from Revchem glassing this polyurethane surfboard blank. The board was glassed with UV cure polyester resin. It went from a shaped blank to ready for sanding in one hour. Thanks to Dave and the sun for the awesome demo!

Stay posted for more video and pics from the event.

Foam E-Z 15 Years of Shaping it, Glassing it, and Surfing it!

The party/event was one for the ages. Here's a short slide show put together by one of our friends. Enjoy and there will be more to come. It was great to see everyone who was there although it was so busy we might not have got a chance to meet everyone in person. Thanks to everyone who was involved.
Brad

"What a Great Celebration!" Terry Price (Cerritos College)

Here's a letter we received from one of the vendors at the show. Look for more pics, videos, and a complete run down of day coming soon.

"Congratulations to you and your team for a very successful 15th anniversary celebration.

We were very pleased with your invitation to help you celebrate with your customers. Your program was one for the books, demo’s, entertainment, food and all the vendors who support your efforts. Wow, what a great forum for everyone getting answers to any kind of question possible.

We had so many individuals come by our display and thanked us for being there to help them understand that if 13-year-old middle school girls (Surfer Diva’s) could make a surfboard, that they certainly could take a stab at it. We were also happy to help provide guidance and understanding as well as support in taking the mystery out of surfboard making.

We had a huge success with our drawing for a “Free” class in Surfboard Construction in our upcoming Fall Semester; I think it will catch on.

We hope our relationship will continue to grow and prosper for many years to come.

Again, thanks to you and your team for a great day. You promised what you delivered, good networking."

Terry L. Price
Chairman
Composites Training Center (CTC)
Cerritos College
11110 Alondra Blvd.
Norwalk, CA 90650
(562) 860-2451 ext. 2927
tprice@cerritos.edu
www.mfgskills.com

It's Party Time!!!

Just a reminder that our Party/Event is tomorrow Saturday May 31st. It's gonna be a doozy! So many giveaways it's hard to mention them all. Let's just say there will be at least five (5) complete board kits that include PU foam (US Blanks) with UV Resin and Hexel cloth (Composite Resources), EPS Parabolics (US Blanks and Marko) with Resin Research Epoxy and BGF Cloth (Graphite Master/Greg Loehr) and more. Of course there will be plenty of free food and refreshments. Make the drive it will be worth your while.

For all the info about the event check out previous blogs below.

Look forward to seeing you all there.

Brad

All Graphics Supplies 15% off!!!

This week, from Sunday May 26th thru Saturday May 31st, the sale category is GRAPHIC SUPPLIES. Customers save 15% and can either come into the shop to make the purchase or can purchase online with the redemption code 15YRGRAPH4. Stay tuned, it's gonna be a great month!

Don't forget our 15 Year Anniversary Party Event THIS SATURDAY (May 31st) from 11-3pm. It will take place behind our shop and will include: Giveaways, Raffles, Food/Drinks, Board Building Demos, Live Music, and a Storewide 15% off Sale.



The Guys at www.FoamEZ.com

Glassing Supplies 15% Off Sale at Foam E-Z!!!

In celebration of our 15 years in business we are having a month long sale! Each week a different product category will be highlighted and all customers will be able to save fifteen percent (15%) on that category. This week, from Sunday May 18th thru Saturday May 24th, the sale category is GLASSING SUPPLIES. Customers can either come into the shop to make the purchase or you can purchase online with the redemption code 15YRGLASS3. Look for a new category and redemption code next Sunday May 18th. Stay tuned, it’s gonna be a great month!

Don't forget our 15 Year Anniversary Party Event from 11-3pm on Saturday May 31st. It will take place behind our shop and will include: Giveaways, Raffles, Food/Drinks, Board Building Demos, and a Storewide 15% off Sale.

The Guys at www.FoamEZ.com
THE ORIGINAL ONE-STOP SURFBOARD SUPPLY SHOP!
www.FoamEZ.com
Foam E-Z, Inc.
ph.714.896.8233
fax.714.896.0001
Support@FoamEZ.com

Since 1993

Shaping Supplies 15% Off Sale

In celebration of our 15 years in business we are having a month long sale! Each week a different product category will be highlighted and all customers will be able to save fifteen percent (15%) on that category. This week, from Sunday May 11th thru Saturday May 17th, the sale category is SHAPING SUPPLIES. Customers can either come into the shop to make the purchase or you can purchase online with the redemption code 15YRSHAPE2. Look for a new category and redemption code next Sunday May 18th. Stay tuned, it’s gonna be a great month!



The Guys at www.FoamEZ.com