Simmons built in Singapore to surf in Bali

Simmons under construction in a small apartment in Singapore

" This is Mike from Singapore. Yes, there are surfers in Singapore , an island with no waves but only 2 hrs flight from Indo & it's surf riches.
I be a follower of your "The Alley Fish Fry" blog & is smitten with all these alternative boards porn. I myself have quite a few fish type shape in my bunch. That's will be another mail altogether."

" Anyway,I thought I would share with you & the other devotees the stoke of my 1st hollow wooden mini-sim shaped and built by a buddy of mine Capt Tien aka Ali Bob as he was known in the FaceBook world.
Tien is a full fledge Singapore Airlines Pilot that where he get the Capt namesake from. True to his heart, he a tinker & all around Mr Craftsman, plus a pioneer figure in our minuscule Singapore surfing tribe.
So when he signed up late last year for the Grain's build your own workshop, I knew the end result from Maine will definitely sprout some wood seedling in our local water."

"So true to my believe, Tien has begun to start build his own hollow wooden boards after Maine. His 1st sole board on his own was a copy of his wifey's high performance fish shape which came out awesome looking in terms of built quality & shape but it didn't surf as well to his expectation due to some over-jess on the single to double concave bottom.... think bonzer on steroids!! Haha.."

"From the time he return from Maine, I have been implanting thoughts of a hollow wood Mini-Sim shape in his mind, knowing that he gravitate to the challenges of the shape's hull entry to single concave bottom & the scoop nose design. Tien bite the bait, took up the challenge last Nov & we started working on a Mini-Sim shape for me. I did most of the research/inputs from the internet, also asked my California shaper Yuta from the Shaka Stics label for his thoughts, advise & tips..."

"Got on Tien's Ass of the project management. Insist of having it at 5'2" & the scoop nose feature even though Tien thinking it will not work.
80% of the board structure form was build in Tien's spare bedroom apartment converted wood workshop. The balance rails, final finishing & epoxy glassing was done in Bali where he is based in when not flying."

" Board's dims is 5'2" x 21 3/4" x 2 5/8".
Deck strips are all in pine w/ 2 red cedar stringers.
Bottom are 2 stripe of pine, sandwiched w/ 2 red cedar stringers, finished w/ a local Indo wood similar to balsa. Rails are all Balsa. Hardwood tail block."

Twin keel fins in Birch plywood custom foiled by Yuta of Shaka Stic : http://shakastics.blogspot.com/

" Board is still in Bali now & I will be making a trip over end of May to fondle her rails & taking my 1st slide on her."

"Thanks for reading my long winded email. Hope you like how my board turned out & it will be great to be feature in your Alley Fish Fry blog."

Regards
MIKE LIM

Thanks Mike , it just shows where there is a will there is a way of building your dream board and it may be a little further to the beach than it is for most of us , but the wait will be worth it.We look forward to the surf report from Bali.

Wooden Fish to raise money for Christchurch Quake disaster relief.

First gluing up for preshaping. When shaped close to final thickness and rockers, the board will again be cut to enable each piece to be chambered.

Just to recap on past posts , Jay Jackman of Sadhana Surfboards in Christchurch were lucky enough to have survived the earthquake earlier this year. And so to help out have set about shaping a board to raise money for helping out.

Shaping complete ready for glassing.

" I’m excited to say the 6’3” Balsa Fish Earth quake Donation Board is now finished. I am really happy with the way it has turned out."

" Our business was only a matter of a few kilometres from the quake epicentre on February 22nd. Our factory is now being held up by temporary timber framing whilst other adjacent
buildings are now red stickered or have been demolished.

Just to recap, I have shaped a timber surf board, basing the design on our most popular local model. The timbers used for the main shape of the board are South American Balsa, renowned in the surfing community as a craftsman’s wood of choice. The centre stringers and fins are
timbers from a demol­ished factory that once stood right behind our own. The board is 6’3” in length, to represent the 6.3mag quake that changed a lot of lives. On the stringer near the tail, I have sprayed a design to represent the view when sitting in the waves looking west to the
mountains of our region. These are in the red and black of Canterbury."

Length: 6’3” Width: 21 7/8” Thickness: 2 7/8” " I have hand made some rimu wall racks to be included (like in photo), so the board can be displayed.

The board is now in the show room for the next week for those who are able to come and have a look. The auction on " Trademe " will begin on Monday 9th May 2011. All money from the
auction will be donated to the Red Cross Christchurch Earth quake Appeal."

Unfortunately there have been many rumbles since we first started our project and they just still keep on coming. This has only continued to remind me of the importance of making this board.

We can now thank fully venture back to our local beaches, just in time to put on our hoods and booties for the winter swell.

Even though it feels like Christchurch is slowly putting itself back together, I hear of many
people still struggling on a daily basis to get back to some sense of normality. I hope this board in some way goes to helping alleviate this.

I wanted to thank you all for following our journey in making the Earth quake Board. Your
support and encouraging comments have been really appreciated. Fingers crossed we get some generous bids.

We also continue to think of all those people facing uncertainty in Japan. Our thoughts are still with you."

To find out more on the board or to make a bit please email Jay :
Jay Jackman jay@sadhanasurfboards.co.nz

Black Deer Surfboards France

Paul Lefevre is a very talented artist and surfboard builder . I first met him a couple of years ago here on the Gold Coast at DMS working for Dan Mac Donald. He was a sander and polisher . He moved back to France and works with Tristan Mausse at their company " The Lucky Bastards Glassing Co." but has his own brand Black Deer surfboards.

Here is Paul working on a new shape for himself.

"The core it's an EPS high density, with wood veneer skin, No fiber, No resin (only for plug and edge) the finish is multiple coats of varnish,at the moment I try many different woods, (light, hard, and local one) always to make more light and more flex.... the boards is around 3kg"

Not wall hangers, these guys perform.

Paul is a very talented guy , making some great looking boards. Check him out at :

http://blackdeersurf.blogspot.com/

http://polish-artworks.blogspot.com

Curly Mal Jam this weekend

Great to see an event that includes some wooden boards and heritage of early Australian surfing.

" Curl Curl Longboarers Inc presents what is a truly unique sporting event at Curl Curl Beach on the 30th of April 2011. The MALJAM, as it is known, combines all aspects of the art of modern and traditional longboard surfing that has evolved over the last sixty years.

The Event is an amalgam of the pre modern era of the 1950’s “toothpick” cruiser, the glide and expression of the 1960’s where the board was the instrument of creation at the feet of the “logger ”and the aggressive take no prisoner attitude of the contemporary exponent who elicits every ounce of speed and maneuver out of the pulsing wall of water and foam.

Some say it is attitude some say it is perception but no matter what your notion of beauty and creativity is you will find all at the expo at Curl Curl Beach. Add to this a martial arts display by some of Australia’s best and a trade display of the coolest surf equipment and fashion in captivity and you have a day that will live with you for years.

This is a Pro Event that has been designed to attract the best surfers in Australia and indeed the world. Australian, American and World Champions will compete in the three disciplines that are the basis of modern longboard surfing. Reminiscent of 1964, when Midget Farrelly became the first ever World Surfing Champ, the Northern Beaches returns to showcase the cutting edge of the excitement and visual beauty of the sport of longboard surfing.

The toothpick event is by invitation only because of the immense skill and water knowledge that the riders must possess – some of the invitees have grown up in the modern age of surfing and spectators will be gob smacked with the skill that these athletes display as they glide into the waves on their fifteen foot plywood and metal craft that are the beasts of a bygone era. The cult of surfing from the 1940’s and !950’s will jump out and grab the attention and admiration of onlookers who will see, many for the first time, the grace, beauty and danger inherent in guiding these monsters from takeoff zone to the beach.

“Logger” is the name used to describe the surfer that chooses the traditional board from the 1960’s, or replica thereof, as the instrument to carve an impression on the ocean face. These are not warriors they are the artists of the lineup and their intention is to gracefully extract the most out of every wave they launch into. Stylish bottom turns, looping cutbacks and round outs are punctuated with deft walking of the “plank” and neat hanging fives and tens. These are the guys and girls who conceive surfing as an art form and refuse to conform to the formula that dictates to the exponents of the modern short board approach – To them the wave is the music to which they dance. The wave is their canvass and their board an instrument of creation.

Enter now the contemporary longboarder who probably rides all types of boards from the snappy responsive short board through to the graceful and traditional standup paddle. These warriors need to dominate the line and perform amazing rips, reentries, three sixties, aerials, tail slides as well as the walking and hanging techniques used by the loggers. The approach is not one of grace but of extreme functionality and spectacular moves that attempt to tame forces of nature. The wave will eventually dictate but these guys and gals are reticent to surrender to the vagaries of the ocean.

Join us at Curl Curl Beach on the 30^th of April 2011 and enjoy the exhilaration of a day that moves forward by looking back and showcases the beauty and awe of the sport of longboard surfing. "

Find out more at : www.curlymaljampro.com

Peter Walker to exhibit on the Gold Coast

Surfing and beach culture are integral to the Gold Coast lifestyle – that culture is also a great source of inspiration to artists who continue to engage with the rich stories and visual imagery of this dynamic sport.

We present two distinct but connected exhibitions in gallery one featuring a new series of beautifully crafted wooden surfboards by furniture maker and designer Peter Walker and ceramics by artist Gerry Wedd which reference both ancient and contemporary myths and legends of the perils of the sea and the underbelly of the the surf world.

Walker is a surfer and was born in Sydney and now divides his time between Adelaide and working as Associate Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design in New York. Always fascinated by hand skills and fine craftsmanship, Walker’s awareness of the complexity of surfboard performance and design led him to start making his own wooden surfboards – embellished with the work of leading Australian contemporary artists.

His boards will be at The Gold Coast Arts Centre 28th of May to 10th of June.

You need a "Nice Rack" to show off your board

" The Hawaiian Gun Rack is designed specifically for your home. The design gives the appearance that your board is suspended on the wall which allows you to show your surfboard and not the rack. It will turn any surfboard into a work of art!"

• Holds up to 45lbs.
• Anchors into drywall or studs
• All hardware included
• The specialty anchors are construction grade hardware that will withstand 70 psi. shear strength in 3/8" drywall, giving you the freedom to put the board anywhere on the wall you want.
• Cork/neoprene padding for board rail protection
• 2 anti-slip dowels
• Extends only 10" from the wall
• 10.5" high
• For indoor wall or office display
• For surfboards, snowboards, skateboards, wakeboards, kite boards, street-luges, guitars, skis and special wooden paddles

I don't normally promote commercial products , but these guys have done a nice job and after all the effort you have put into your board you want to be able to show it off well.

For more info check these guys out at : www.thenicerack.com

Kiwi , John Sutcliffe's chambered log

John has just picked up his chambered Redwood and Pine strip longboard. The Redwood was locally milled and he made the board to donate to raise funds to build a skateboard park in Mangawhai.
" The usual positive input from Roger and an awesome glass job by Matt and Emma from Surfline Surfboards. Carmen and I will be there in August with a twin fin fish made with Kahikatia which I have just started."

Nice fin to compliment the board.

Kiwi fush underway

Johnny Sutcliffe with the framework of his wooden fish project, redwood rails and the stringer is unkown species but he retrieved it from a skip bin.He will keep us posted on the progress and we should see the finished project in August. Nice one John.

The Ventana Surf Co

Martijn Stiphout and Tyler Frome are a couple of mates from Santa Cruz who build some good looking wooden boards .Here they are after a session on R&D.

Hollow framed wooden boards take time and skill.

This is a 1970′s inspired single-fin shortboard with down-turned rails, low nose rocker, and the wide point forward of center.

A classic fish en l’honneur de lis. 5’ 10” birch decks with cork and mahogany rails. The nose block is salvaged redwood from a 140-year-old Santa Cruz home. Abalone is inlayed in leash and vent plugs. Ready to slide.

They custom build fins...

Some nice details and a variety of woods

The guys have stock boards on hand and can custom build for you as well. Check them out at ...
Ventana Surf Co

Bob McTavish and the Balsa Pigs

Each one hand shaped and signed by the little master

Here's a couple of photos taken by Samuel Lindsay of Bob working on the first 2 of our limited edition balsa pigs. 12 boards will be made all-up, over the next 12 months, and each will be hand-finished and signed by Bob. They are all solid balsa, have a glass-on timber D fin, and an individually numbered copper plaque instead of a decal. These are beautiful collectors boards, and will look great on the wall, or if you're keen, in the water. I'll get more photos up as they come through.

Check out the new McTavish site and Bob's blog