Modern Art

Seems like every time you open a surf mag all you see are super human surf stuntmen chucking their boards above the lip line. As one commentator at the recent WQS contest said, "the air reverse is the new cutback." Interesting.



The other thing you may notice is that most of the artwork is done on the deck of the board, and particularly in the back 2/3 of the board. Reason? Well, admittedly we're all followers of fashion in a sense, and what the pros ride is what the kids want. But there is also a bit of function to the direction of color design.



One, the fresh white canvas of the nose area allows the sponsor's logos to be seen clearly (important, because they are paying the bills). Two, all that color between the surfer's feet flashes brightly as they go through one of their tail chucking turns. Judges like that and the big turns get rewarded accordingly (also important, because good results mean the sponsors keep wanting to pay the bills).



Where is this going? Let's get back down to earth. The folks at Del Cabo Surf Shop asked me to do a batch of shortboards and were wondering if I would do the color work too. "What would you like?" was my question. "Something the kids like" was the reply.



Hmm. I might have an idea. The one thing about the youth movement is that anything goes. And that's what made doing these loose and simple sprays so fun. This batch will also have the WCS logo offset to the right side so the kids can put all their cool stickers up on the nose.


Post script: Stress Test



The most stressful part of my week is loading up freshly shaped and airbrushed boards and driving them to the glass shop. It's similar to running an "egg in a spoon" race across a prairie dog town - land mines everywhere. Traffic and road construction is all part of running the gauntlet.



Not until after the boards are all safely lined up with work cards and decals can I take a deep breath and relax. Now let's go surfing.

Spring Fling

So here is one of the reasons I haven't done a post in a while. You see, we've been having such a good run of surf I treated myself to a new board. It started out so innocently but things have gotten pretty serious and I've been spending a lot of overtime in the water with my new ride.



This board measures out at 6'0" x 14 1/2 x 20 1/8 x 14 3/4 by 2 1/2. I'm using the Future VF4 Quad Fins which really give the board a lot of drive and speed. With the rounded pin it's very smooth rail to rail and holds tight in the pocket. I'm pretty jazzed.



It's a bonus to the stoke factor when you find a faithful companion that will fly freely on the face of a wave and surprise and enlighten you on each go out.

A Word from the Toy Maker

My fitness friends Scott and Todd at SurfStronger put together this nifty little video of me talking about getting a custom board. It gives some insight into the thoughts and process that go into shaping a board, plus the stoke I get from my customers.

As you can see, I'm serious about being a toymaker. And the gang at SurfStronger is serious about being fit and in shape to surf at your full potential. Their programs have worked great to help this stiff old geezer stay in the game. Maybe the next workout video will be ShapeStronger.

Easter Egg Hunt

Damon hops up and takes the high line on his backhand. Like all creative people, Damon not only puts a lot of positive input into his boards, he also designs his own color jobs. For more on his work, check out www.PitchedMedia.com.

The one thing you might not find is where this photo was taken. But that's what surfing is all about, going out on a hunt to find little treats that await us tucked away in the coves and along the beaches.

20th Anniversary

image by Robert Sturman

Let's face it folks, most people like comets, rockets and meteors, loud bangs and fireworks. Admittedly, there have been very little of these pyrotechnics at Ward Coffey Shapes over the last 20 years. I've been content to quietly hang my shingle, listen to my customer's wants and desires, and go into my hobbit hole and produce the goods. It seems to work and I thank you all for it.


2004

Building surfboards for a living is tricky business at best. But it has afforded me a humble place in a community that values the rhythms of the ocean. Besides, in addition to being able to keep my door open during boom and bust times, I feel fortunate that my wife and I have had the time to share our love for the ocean with our boys. They've logged more beach and wave time than the average bear and their stoke has been fun to watch and be a part of.



When I first started Ward Coffey Shapes I had already put 10 years before the mast at Arrow Surfboards. I had quite a few boards under my dusty belt, wore a lot of hats, learned about the surf industry, and most importantly found out that I really liked shaping surfboards.

At the time I didn't, and still don't, have all the answers on running a business and what it takes to make a magic surfboard. But I'm just as keen and stoked as ever to grab a blank and start a new board. The coolest thing is, the main ideas and values I had back then still ring true today. To me it's just basic common sense that you treat people the way you want to be treated.

That means taking the time to meet the customer, listen to them, and look at their equipment. I want them to have the confidence that I'm the one who will shape their board and put in the time and the attention to detail needed to make it right. I'll see it through the whole process and be there when they pick it up with fins in place and a bar of wax in hand. Oh, I know it doesn't fit the mass marketing model but I'm good with it. Being the town toy maker and seeing my customers riding their boards on a daily basis is both satisfying and rewarding.

Thanks to all of you for your support and inspiration.
Ward

Bold is How We Roll

Lou at SenaReider Advertising decided to stoke out his client by getting a surfboard done with the product logo. We got together and laid out a board to the customer's specs and Jerry Anderson at Headline Graphics provided the stunning images that we laminated into the board.



Though it doesn't look like it, this is a massive board. It's a big boy performance shape coming in at 7'6" x 23 1/2 x 3 1/4. Jeff at US Blanks was kind enough to cut a custom EPS blank for the job. It's what really made the whole project happen.



It's my guess when the client rocks up to his local surf spot sporting a board looking this cool, bold is how he will have to roll.

Gionni's Green Machine

This big boy quad is the second generation in Gionni's quest for a floaty yet maneuverable short board. He got a good 5 years out of his last one so he was due. This time around we added some tail rocker to give it a tighter turning radius.



We also used the Simon Anderson quad fins for more grip and drive and, in Gionni's words, "I'm loving the new board. It turns great and can still move down the line when I want it to. Stoked!"

Self Standing Blank

Ernie from US Blanks was delivering foam yesterday. As he was pulling blanks from the truck, I saw this blank and thought, "what the heck is that thing for?"

So I did a little research and found out the blank was for legendary shaper and forward thinker Joel Woods. Joel is best known for the Intruder series he did for O'Neills in the 60s. He also created a variety of asymmetrical shapes and foils that suited the right point breaks here in Santa Cruz.



This blank is for a reproduction of one of those shapes. I can't wait to see how the thing turns out. For me the blank in it's raw form, with it's balsa outrigger and offset stringers, stands on it's own. It really starts one thinking of the possibilities of wood, foam, and fun.

Wild and Wooly

After a nice run of surf and weather this fall and early winter, the door has now been kicked in and through it a series of storms has been pummeling the coast with heavy surf, wind, and rain. This annual scouring of the cliffs and beaches is a reminder that the sands of time wait for no one.



When the not so "pacific" ocean is on the march, it inspires awe and respect for it's moods and unrelenting power. A few days brought the low pressure close to shore which meant steep wave periods that sent rouge waves steamrolling through parts of the ocean that rarely see breaking waves.



A highlight is that the major rivers are now running and the much anticipated sand flow is in motion. Could it be a river mouth year? Well, as one sage curmudgeon once told me, if there is a big ole log jam flowing down the San Lorenzo River, there most likely will also be a big ole (surfboard) log jam at the river mouth this spring.

Rock Candy

Even Willy Wonka would be hard pressed to come up with tastier treats then these three longboards fresh from the factory.



Tim wanted a racy performance longboard for chasing the overhead waves that sweep the lineup at Pleasure Point and outlying areas. We used my favorite Phil Edwards' template, gave it a crisper edge along the tail, and made it a tri fin. With a color job like this, Tim will have no worries about getting fired up to charge the set waves.



Bill wanted an all around Cruzer that would trim and nose ride well. He also wanted something beefy that would handle the open waters off Ocean Beach. The triple stringer pin tail was a natural choice.



For Drew, we copied one of his favorite boards. This time around we added a double barrel concave through the back third of board for extra speed and drive and we also beefed up the glass job.





Three longboards with three different designs and intended uses, but they all say "hail" to the beauty of a glossed and polished surfboard.