Longboarding

Longboarding

Welcome to my longboarding page. I've been surfing for about 4 years, now. Living on Cape Cod, we have clean small summer surf that typically swings up from the south due to tropical systems in the Caribbean. These waves are usually ankle to waist-high (1-3 ft) on average. During the winter, the swell picks up to chest to overhead (4-8 ft) on average and comes out of the north primarily. Nor'easters are the major driving force behind this larger, cold weather surf pattern.

Surfing year round in the Northeast requires a wide range of equipment. For example, my wetsuit collections is as follows:

- 3/2mm Rip Curl Ultimate Elasto full summer suit
- 4/3mm Billabong 2001 Series full spring/fall suit

Oh, let's not forget the accessories:

- H2O 5mm standalone hood for spring/fall
- el cheapo 5mm five-finger gloves
- el cheapo 5mm lobster claw gloves
- Xcel 6.5mm winter booties
- Xcel longsleeve rashguard

So, you can see the full spectrum of water temps and weather conditions we adapt to throughout the year. The other integral piece of equipment is, of course, the surfboard. I've had way too many boards for the short time I've surfed, but I tend to do this with all my hobbies - rapid upgrading.

What follows is a rough chronology of my boards & abstracts on their notable attributes:

Board 1: Spectrum 9'2" noserider (Surfboards Hawaii Model A Stepdeck copy) This board is a repro of a classic Surfboards Hawaii template from the late '60s. It was shaped by Joe Shriver in the late '80s/early '90s. It had plenty of dings but worked great on the steep right-handers at Marconi Beach in Wellfleet because of its excessive (5.5"!) nose rocker.		Board 2: 9'2" Jim Phillips performance shape A rare find from a friend in Pembroke, MA. Jim "The Genius" Phillips shaped boards in Rhode Island in the early '60s and then went on to establish himself as one of the premier longboard craftsmen on the west coast. This was an early to mid-'90s performance model (albeit with a single finbox) that served me well during my first full winter of Cape Cod surfing.
Sorry - no photos available
Board 3: Inner Islands 9'2" performance shape Custom-shaped in North Carolina, this board was shipped but damaged in transit when I received it during the fall of 2000. It proved to be too lightly glassed and fragile for my purposes (4x4oz top/4oz bottom hexcel glass).		Board 4: Donald Takayama 9'0" Model T noserider This stick is by far the most noseriding-oriented board I ever owned. Even though it was only a nine footer, a 19" nose and long, deep teardrop concave created incredible stability at the nose. It was great on waist-high waves, but when conditions got bigger, its performance suffered because of flat nose rocker.

Board 5: 1966 Hansen 8'6" Superlight This board was an impulse buy in the parking lot at Coast Guard Beach in Eastham. It excelled on waist to chest-high waves. With a width of almost 24 inches, it was also the most fun to knee paddle of all my sticks. A great classic with tons of old school style and character.		Board 6: Marbella 9'0" hybrid shape A custom board (also obtained through my friend in Pembroke) shaped in San Diego by Paulo Cabral. This was a fun board for waist to head-high conditions. It turned on a dime with sharp rails in the tail, but could also be noseridden just as easily with its blended concave. Glassed 8x8oz volan top and bottom, it was a heavier exercise than the Inner Islands, which added a nice glide factor to the mix.

Board 7: Hunt Customs 8'6" Sol prototype This board was my most recent brand new acquisition. Shaped in Burbank, CA by a friend, it actually began life as his travel board. But, I was able to convince him to sell it instead. A scaled-down version of a classic '60s template, its outline almost reminded me of a mini Weber Performer. 50/50 rails to 60/40 in the tail provide a very forgiving ride. Glassed 8x6oz volan top/8oz volan bottom, it also features an S-glass deck patch and fin patch. Sadly, I was forced to sell it last year due to financial considerations.

Well, there you have it - that's the active board collection. I also owned a number of collectable models through eBay transactions and private sales: a '66 Bing 9'6" David Nuuhiwa Lightweight, a '68 7'11" G&S Skip Frye transitional, a Hobie 9'6" Dick Catri Wedge model, etc. Update - just recently (Fall '04) purchased a 9'2" stealth version (green resin tint w/just one Hobie laminate) of the famous Gary Propper pintail model.

These were all fun boards to ride, but mostly served as wall hangers for their vintage value. Check the links page for more info on longboarding and Cape Cod surfing information.

Last Updated 11.9.04