Where I've been and where I'm going....

About 18 months ago I packed in surfing, I just had enough, the crowds the poor quality waves that we always seemed to get and new found love for analogue photography all prompted me to sell my boards and to move on, forget surfing and do what normal people do.

Looking back on it photography was such a big part of this downward spiral. Surf fitness is such a huge part of surfing that most of us take it for granted and the more shooting I was doing the less surf fit I became. When I jumped back on my 6'2" shortboard everything was so much harder and surfing just wasn't fun anymore.

I think I surfed twice last winter though, both times on my longboard (the only board I kept) in about 2 ft surf and had a great time. Then last April I went out again and came to my senses....I needed to surf again!

My standard surfboard has always been pretty similar to everyone elses, ever since 87' I've always ridden shortboard thrusters somewhere between 6' and 6'4". This is what all the guys were riding in the videos, all my mates were surfing them and when I went to a shaper for a new board this was what he told me to use ( 'albeit this years latest design which surfs mush amazingly!')

But with my fitness not at its best so I decided to go for something a little different. Their was something about these retro twin keel fish that I liked though, the thickness would certainly help but I also liked the idea of just cruising around and just surfing how I wanted to surf and not always aiming to hit the lip or do big turns. With this in mind I bought a 6' x 21" x 2.5" Black and White twinny and the thing flies, I mean it really flies like nothing I've ever surfed before, it was just what I needed.

So this is it, almost like starting afresh as far as board design is concerned. I've now made two boards which in itself has taught me more about board design than what I've learnt in the last twenty years. Although I may shape a thruster at some point my sights are set more towards alternative board design. Nothing to way out or freaky but I suppose my goal is to make surfboards which I think will surf well at my local beach, something which performs but most importantly something which puts a huge grin on my face and makes me stoked to be back in the water again!

I'm playing about with a couple designs on AKU and I'II add them in good time. One thing is for sure though....Foam is definately your friend!!

Another classic Leven day 2/2/07

This day was the straw the broke the camels back for me as far as surf photography was concerned. It really was classic Leven conditions with really good light and 4 ft and offshore, these days were so rare and after this days shooting I just wanted to shoot perfect waves with good light all the time but sadly this is the UK.
Think this was the day that me and Ratman met up with Lloydy and Raff, good times.
1st pic Rat in a hole, 2nd pic Porthleven main peak.

5'5" performance twinny.....

Sooooo stoked on this board, just finished it yesterday.
5'5" x 21 x 2.5 with single concave all the way through going out to a flicked out Vee on the tail.
I just wanted a board that could grovel in the worst of it but still manage to hit a lip and after its first real test drive today it definately does that!
Never gone this small on a board though, smallest board I've ever ridden in the past was a 5'9" RNF that I took to Oz years ago but this little twinny surfs nothing like that. It hasnt got the twitchyness that the RNF had, its a very front foot orientated board which has loads of volume to make up for its length but the Vee in the tail makes it very responsive on turns.
Looking forward to testing it in different conditions though and I'm pretty sure I'm going to play with some variations of this template in the future.