New Journal!!!

Love it when I find the new TSJ in the mailbox! :)

Seaworthy

Mailman dropped off my copy of Nathan Oldfield's latest film "Seaworthy". Had read about the film and the man in the last TSJ and sought out to purchase a copy. While this is probably not a film for everyone, I really liked it. You could say it has little bit Thomas Campbell influence or a little bit of Andrew Kidman maybe..... Regardless, it has a lot of Nathan Oldfield influence and that's good enough for me. Really liked the Tom Wegener sections. That guy is just cool. 20'+ Olo to his 12' & 16' boards, he is just too smooth. Love the fact that he is always smiling.

Sadly, I was not smiling after tonight's surf. Headed over to CM hoping the NE swell had arrived late. At 3:30pm there was little to nothing so I headed over with my new hull to see if I could sneak in a surf. Well, the swell arrived and Poverty was going off pretty good. Should've come home and grabbed another board but decided to give the new hull a go in some pretty good thumping beach break. I learned a lot tonight... Overhead sets and steep drops make it hard to control the speed and grip of the board on my forehand. Every frontside wave I went on did not have a happy ending. A few larger set waves only saw me slide down the face sideways in hopes of catching a little bit of rail in order to grip into the wave face. No joy. Funny that every right (backhand) I dropped into went great. Big drops and bottom turns were not an issue. I am guessing foot placement and/or fin size (9" narrow base Greg Liddle) may be a contributing factor. Whatever the case, several waves provided a nice rush and all in all it wasn't a bad session. Until I got out and noticed the wound in the nose. Guessing one of those nasty beatings after the slide down the face pushed the board into the bottom. Not a horrid ding but through the glass on just my third go out. The garage will smell of resin this weekend..... ;)

Aloha!

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7' "She" hull

First surf

Got my new Ryan Lovelace creation wet this morning and what a joy it is to surf. Sadly, the groundswell from yesterday dropped off a little but there were some decent set waves every now and then that allowed me to get an idea of how it goes. I'll be honest and admit that I was nervous about how I was going to do on this new board. Having a 9'2" as my daily rider for most of the winter and the entire summer, I was worried that my skill level was not up to par with my latest acquisition. The board went great and although there were few frontside offerings, I was very happy at how it went on my backhand. Very stoked and eager for the next session. Aloha!

7' Lovelace Hull and 9'2" Anderson-Bojorquez

Lovelace Hull

Fedex man delivered this afternoon!

7' Ryan Lovelace "SHE" hull.

Cant wait to baptize her in the morning!!!! :)

Fun July morning

Had some fun waves this AM at the "rocks" with a few friends. Offshores grooming the clean little 2'-3' swell to near perfection made it a very fun 3 hour session.

9'2" Anderson -Bojorquez

Manuel Caro

The first time I heard of Mandala surfboards was during the re-emergence of the fish a popular board design. His shapes seemed to always be a step ahead or above what you were seeing everywhere else. While I am only an admirer, having never owned one, I only hear the highest praise from Mandala owners in regard to their board and its performance. Maybe one day...... ;)

A few of my recent favorites from the http://www.theswallowtailsociety.blogspot.com/

5'10" archtail

7' tri-plane hull

Saturday Morning Rays

Enjoyed some cool, clear water waves this morning. It's not often we have such pristine conditions in the realm of water clarity. Sliding along on a little left this morning I was joined by four small rays surfing down the face with me. Saw a few the other day but had not previously seen them surfing as dolphins do. A pretty neat experience.

Got to watch "The Present" last night up in Sea Isle. Outdoor showing in a park next to the boardwalk. Perfect weather and a nice locale to watch a surf movie. Put on by Heritage Surf Shop. It had me a little extra stoked to surf this AM.

Aloha!

Chilly in July

Is it July or October? Stepped outside this morning and was pleasantly surprised by the chill in the air. Felt good! Had hoped the NE breeze would turn Cape May on tonight... Sadly, there were only minimal offerings at Grant St. this evening. Didn't bother checking anywhere else as I figured disappointment would be my only reward. Slid home to pick up my little buddy so we could head up to the pet store in search of some hermit crab food for the new pal he brought home last night. :)

Did manage to get in a surf last night over at the "rocks". Fun knee high peelers made for a nice way to wash off after work.

Hermit crabbing

Kyle Lightner prints

I've been following the exploits of Mr. Lightner via the blog world for a while now. From both stories and photos it's easy to see he is quite the talented wave rider. I found recently that he is also quite talented with his camera. If you get a chance, check out his website. Good stuff! http://www.kylelightner.com/

Up in the rafters

Met up with an old friend several weeks ago in the surf and finally made it over to his house for a visit last week. While we were catching up on the years between visits I saw this board laying in the rafters of his garage. Story goes that he came upon the board in the office of a "client" who had acquired it from an friend. Since the "client" did not surf, my friend talked him into letting him take the board off his hands. Since then it has been sitting collecting some dust and on the list for getting some TLC. I was over this afternoon shooting the breeze and asked if we could take it down for a few photos. What a sweet looking shape. Needs some love but all it all it is in fair condition. Once watertight, I have already placed my request to take it out for a surf. :)

Steve M. with his Kim Neilson V-bottom

Peter Schroff

For fans of early 80s neon, a new Schroff blog page. http://schroffsurfboards.blogspot.com/

A shot of mine from the 1983-84 time frame. A very popular board on the Gulf Coast during this time period. Yancy Spencer's Innerlight on 9th Ave in Pensacola, FL was a Schroff showroom for a few years. So many wild colors, shapes and fin setups. What a fun time it was!

Happy Independence Day!

Hope all have a safe and happy forth of July. A special thanks to all of our men and women serving in harms way. To them, an extra prayer and wish for a safe and speedy return home.

Yater 9' 4" HP

Haven't been surfing it much of late but for several years this was my daily rider. Other than a ding along the rail, courtesy of the Queen St. drain pipes, its in great shape. Decided that today would be a good day to clean off the dirty wax.