Splitting the peak

Being a regular foot and a goofy foot, one of the first things my boys had to figure out was how to split a peak.

Fishzilla

Jack and Rocky are two classic cats from the San Francisco area and are big fans of "foam is our friend." These versatile fishzillas can be set up as either a quad or tri fin. Built in my Styrolite (epoxy) construction, the boards have heaps of float and are very responsive.



Fishzilla action shot.

Happy Holidays

Ho Ho Ho!

Meet Lt Jason Mansour, aka "Mongoose." Being a NOAA pilot, Jason is able to get a bird's eye view of a lot of coastline. In this case he got a little distracted while flying over Santa's workshop.



Here's his story: "These photos were taken in Dutch Harbor Unalaska, Alaska in the middle of a blizzard. All I had with me was my 4/3 O'Neill Psycho wetsuit and my crewmember and I became the first surfers ever to surf Dutch Harbor."

It's a good thing the elves didn't catch on because no work would have been done that day.



" You make excellent products and I want to personally thank you for remaining in the hand-shaping business. Although you may not hear it as often as you should - there are people out there who sincerely appreciate the dedication and energy that you spend on your craft day in and day out."

Thanks Jason. Great customers like you and the rest of our wave gliding tribe are what keeps the stoke going. Thanks for the ride. Ward

Step Right Up

Take time to contemplate the possibilities. Toes, heels or just nice clean trim? The stoke of a new longboard broadens one's horizons.

Shaping 402

A captive crowd is always a good crowd. These surf stoked grommets from Scotts Valley Middle School Surf Club came by the shop to listen to me ramble on about the basics of surfboard shaping and construction.



Thoroughly engaged, the kids had some great questions and comments. We covered a lot of ground and I got to show off some of my fancy gadgets.



As always with the kids, I emphasized safety when handling tools like this. I believe using a planer is often best left to the professional in your neighborhood.



It was a packed house with standing room only. And being so close to the holidays, I would bet that more than just "visions of sugarplums" were dancing in their heads, especially this girl with the cool new sticker.

A special thanks to Duke Brouwer for setting up the whole thing and being staff photographer. Duke has done a great job with this group and is a much appreciated advocate for the art of local handshaped surfcraft.

Emerald Bonzer

On occasion I've been known to follow the yellow brick road in search of the Emerald City, to seek the courage to use my brain to find what I know in my heart is a great design. Alas, the bonzer!



This 6'3" pintail for Toby is a real gem. The bonzer is fast and loose and provides heaps of soul carves in and around the pocket. So if you are feeling like you're stuck in Kansas on your everyday board, give the bonzer a spin.

Anyone Lose a Fin?

Found this kelp encrusted 9" Rainbow fin while free diving Steamer Lane the other day.



We've had a really good run of crystal clear water lately. With a lot of the sand scraped off the reefs, it's been perfect for poking around the nooks and crannies on the smaller days.

Tony's Balsa Outriggers

Another one of those time consuming projects that, when all is said and done, is worth it. The results are wall hanger quality.



Who's mixing the glue? And where are all my bar clamps??

Mello Yellow

Another insane glass job by the guys at Handcrafted. This 9'8" Cruzer has a perfect blend of traditional and modern features.



The Future Fins setup has been a favorite in boards like this for a while.



Ok, where's the wax?

Where You At?

Like all good board shops I'm tucked in down by the train tracks. Pretty simple though. Just turn off Hwy 1 / Mission Street onto Swift Street towards the ocean. Go one short block and over the train tracks, then left down the driveway by my sign and you're there.

My shop hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 - 4, other times available by appointment. Surfing and kids come into play sometimes during business hours so it never hurts to call first.

call: 831 459 0868
email: ward@wardcoffeyshapes.com
address: 402 Ingalls St #13B, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Eli's New Styrolite

Eli Atkins with his new round pin styrolite.

This super clean design is the perfect compliment to winter's overhead wave.



Eli is the mastermind behind the Santa Cruz Board Builders Guild "Handcrafted" logo and the "Styrolite" logo I use for my epoxy boards.



This ultra talented cat has a pretty impressive resume. From helment and product design at Bell / Giro to various other projects, he has a great creative eye. Not to mention he rips! Check out his site, Fight the Computer.



The back half of the board is fueled by the True Ames EA Hex Core Fins. Besides keeping the tail light, the black fins and rail go well with the plaid. Nice work!

SUPs

Keith Gouveia at Ocean Beach on a 10'6" quad SUP.

Keith covers a lot of ground, from Santa Cruz to San Francisco he's on it. He's a super cool and courteous guy who always has a smile on his face.



Ok, without pain, guilt, nor fear I've let the "cat out of the bag". Yes, I SUP and I build a few custom board for the enthusiast. This is a 9'6" I made for myself. Overall, it's a great workout and a good way to poke around and plug into waves that most folks don't bother with.



I've been messing around with the quad fin fish idea. Really like the speed, stability and lively feel on the face of the wave.

Coffey Table

Who could resist the play on words. It's a natural fit!

Well, Adam Brodsley and the folks at Volume Inc decided they needed a table they could use to hatch their latest visual schemes. And having a surfer in the bunch, this balsa table was born.





The added bonus is the chips and dip and beer rings wipe right off.

Coke Bottle Fish

Aloha Egg

Came across this fabric and couldn't wait to use it with a nice color base. The panels worked perfectly for fitting in the logo.

Swiss Army Surfboard

Here's a shot of Bill's Quiver. Kind of cool how the templates dovetail into each other.

Airbrush of the Week

Happy how this airbrush was balanced and how rich the red came out.

7'10" Full Volume Gun - SOLD

For sale:








This 7'10" five stringer full volume gun is in perfect condition. Ready to ride or add to a collection. $600.

8'0" Mini Noserider - SOLD

For sale:






This used 8'0" Mini Noserider is in excellent condition. Great for the lighter beginner or as a transition down from a bigger board. Comes with a board bag and leash. $450.

Camo Boards for Wave Hunters

Since we're moving into prime wave hunting season, I thought I'd post something that might appeal to the outdoorsman.

Matt Micuda has been doing these cool camo layouts for years. I learned the technique from him.



Desert Storm with a twist of lemon.




This one I just did on Maurice's 5'10" fish.





A lot of time when I'm doing a spray I want to just stop at certain steps and say "ok, that's it, I'm done" because the image of the art in progress is so strong.



But press on we must. It's usually worth it.