Thursday, December 31, 2009

A Great Decade to Come


Back when we were kids, we all thought that by 2010 we'd be flying in cars, living in space, and would have destroyed Planet Earth. 2010 is just a few hours away and none of the Sci-Fi movies proved to be right. Life is still cruising along, but much has changed, and the next decade is sure to bring about some significant changes in surfing. Here are HSD's predictions for the next 10 years:

- People will be riding a variety of boards that are shorter and fatter than previous decades.
- People will experiment with fins, riding 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 fins
- Shapers with hand-shaping skills will still design the best boards
- Computers will not replace workers in surfboard factories
- Surfboard building materials will become more worker and environmentally friendly
- HSD is going to lead to the way in progressive designs that work for all surfer, not just pros
- California will continue to lead surf industry in design and style

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Holiday Gift Ideas


Still need to get some gifts, but not sure of the best way to give a cool gift that means something? Why not give HSD gift certificates to help someone pay for their new board? Available now in any dollar amount, and they are very snazzy.



If jewelry is what you seek, swing by the California Surf Museum on Thursday Dec. 17 during the outdoor market from 4:30 until 8pm. There will be a book signing from 6-8 pm and cool gift ideas like Andrea's Recycled Surf Resin Jewelry, pearl and shell jewelry, membership, books, DVDs, and lots of other goodies for the surf enthusiast in your life.

On Saturday Dec. 19 Beads of La Jolla is hosting an open house all day, from 10 am -6 pm. Any purchase $20 purchase gets you $5 bead bucks, and any purchase over $100 gets you a free one hour consultation to use any time during 2010. That is a great gift for the aspiring jeweler in your life. There will be tons of pre-made jewelry including one-of-a-kind recycled surf resin jewelry, purses, scarves, and more!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Birthday to Us!






HSD is celebrating their 5 year anniversary and hosted a raging party in downtown San Diego to celebrate. We invited out loyal customers, without whom we could not do what we do, and offered everyone in attendance a coveted Golden Ticket! We raffled off a beautiful triple stringer gun, perfect for gracing huge walls, of water or your home. Jimmy Greer of Surfrider took home the board, giving back to the community sure can pay off. We had fabulous prize packages thanks to our friends at OSIRIS, SRH, and HSD! My brother was the big winner of the evening, next time, get him to buy your wingspan.

Thanks to everyone for coming out and supporting local shapers and brands like HSD! A big thanks to Marion Covic for the fabulous photos and Chris and Greg from Bar 923 for hooking up the spot and free beer from Firehouse Brewing!!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Congrats are in order again for Nathan Carvalho, who flew to California on Thursday, picked up his new hand shaped 5'8 Sniper and surfed amazingly well at Salt Creek this weekend to place second. Way to go Nathan!

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE 2009 RIP CURL GROMSEARCH NATIONAL FINAL FUELED BY H20 OVERDRIVE

Boys 16/U:
1. Kolohe Andino (CA)- $500
2. Nathan Carvalho (HI)- $100
3. Taylor Thorne (CA)
4. Koa Smith (HI)

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Groms Win at Pinetrees



HSD groms killed it at the Volcom "Youth Against Establishment" event held last weekend at Pinetrees in Kauai. HSD had 3 teamriders competing in the Juniors division, and we won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Nathan Carvalho came in first, his little brother came in 2nd, and young Jesse Gugleilmana came in third! Way to got boys! Thats what we like to see in the standings. Learn more about the event here.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Magical Land of Oz





Andrea was lucky enough to spend 31 days in Byron Bay, near the most Easterly Point of Australia. They were just going into springtime, so the wind was fairly cold and strong, but there were still a few days of solid swell. Broken Head was junky but fun, head high a few days. Lennox was good twice, once was a good session, once she wound up with stitches. That's Lennox for you, everyone has their Lennox story. The other spots on the surf tour- Cozy Corners, Tallows, Dolphins, The Pass, Clark's and South Wall. There is no denying that Byron Main Beach was positively off the hook one day, the locals say it only gets like that 3 days a year. Long rides, just overhead, offshore,barrelling, not too crowded, super consistant. If it was like that all the time, Andrea may never have left, but alas work calls and now she's back.

There were other fun activities to do like feed kangaroos, hike to the lighthouse, witness the start of the Transparentsea Voyage, and visit Crystal Castle. Byron is big on yoga and meditation, the best yoga class was above the Surf Club at Main Beach. Mel is an awesome yogi, there were usually only 2 students, and the sea breeze and view was amazing.

Friday, October 9, 2009

The Future of Surfing

Join JP Holeman at the 3rd Annual "Future of Surfing" event held by ReRip.com Oct 17, 2009 from 11-3 at Fletcher Cove. The event is designed to intorduce surfers to eco-minded shapers and provide a venue to recycle surfboards. ReRip.com has been working on recycling old surfboards into concrete to use in building materials. Support their awesome working by bringing and old board to event, trading it in for a blank, and geting JP to shape you a new eco-board. Learn more.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Transparentsea




On the first day of Spring, October 1st in Australia, surfer Dave Rastovich and fellow whale-loving activists left for a month long journey to raise awareness about the plight of whales and Astralia's beaches. They took to the sea from Byron's main beach and are headed to Sydney, they should land November 5th. They are following the migrating humpback whales, stopping at beaches along the way to clean up trash, monitor rivers, and of course, surf. I was there to see them off and cheer them on. This is walking the talk, way to go!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

"Sirens" by Liz Cockrum


Andrea participated in a project with photographer Liz Cockrum. For Liz's "Sirens" she wanted to capture the true lives of female surfers. It is an ongoing work that she has showed a few times, and always gets great feedback. Check out the new Surfer's Journal

Thursday, September 17, 2009

2009 Paddle for Clean Water




September 13th, 2009 was the 18th annual Paddle for Clean Water presented by the Surfrider Foundation San Diego Chapter and Clif Bar. The event is free and aims to make people aware of the water quality issues along the 70+ miles of San Diego county's coastline. Every year, thousands of activists gather in Ocean Beach to let the local politicians know there is a problem and we care.

This year was the first year the life guards nixxed the paddle. The waves were macking, hitting the bottom of the pier, and a thousand people in the water would have overwhelmed the lifeguards. We had a "Surf-at-your-own-risk for Clean Water" instead. There was plenty in the way of entertainment on the beach: booths with eco-minded vendors, 91X streaming live, HSD board demos, educational opportunities, later a stage with tons of great bands, and a Stone beer garden.

The event was awesome as usual, and waves never spoil beach time for any surfer. If you missed it, come on out next year! Thanks to Jimmy Greer for the photos.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Dawn's Custom




Just 'cause sometimes I like to brag... Pure Glass is laminating this right now so this is a little sneak peek for Dawn Moore's new custom "Dawn Patrol" longboard. Hand-painted bamboo on hand-shaped blank, does it get any better?

Rad Girls on Project Runway




Ramona Cash and Darling Clementine of the Rad Girls were "surfer girls" meant to inspire the newest batch of Project Runway designers. The designers worked in teams to make surf-inspired looks for the runway. Watch the episode and learn more here.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Project Runway

Our good friends Ramona and Clementine from Rad Girls made an appearance on Project Runway with HSD surfboards last night! It's pretty quick at the beginning of the episode, but there's a full logo shot. The girls looked fantastic, as always. If you missed it, they replay it next Thursday before the new episode airs. Check it out, next Thursday on Lifetime.

New Shirts for Sale


Hey HSD fans, we just got a huge batch of new men's t-shirts. They are printed on recycled cotton. Why recycled cotton?

40% of cotton is wasted during processing, ending up in landfills. These recycled cotton T's use thise post industrial waste and make brand new shirts. You'd never know the difference, but you are doing a huge favor to the environment.

1/4 of all pesticides in the US are used on cotton crops. By using recycled cotton, less virgin cotton needs to be harvested, less pesticides get used.

Chemicals that have been banned for other crops can still be used on cotton, getting into our waterways and polluting our line-ups. Many rivers and outfalls have huge dead zones downstream from cotton farms. Poor fishes.

Recycle-Reduce-Reuse
**avaiable M, L, XL white with grey, natural with brown**

Monday, August 31, 2009

Rad Girls Stop By to Film Season 3




Like it or not, the Rad Girls just wrapped filming of season 3. Rad Girls are a crew of all-girl pranksters that perform sometimes disgusting, sometimes painful, but always hilarious stunts. This season they brought in a few more girls to spice it up, and Andrea Holeman was one of them. I don't want to spoil all of the fun, but I believe that season 3 will be AWESOME! Here, we are snorting 5 hour energy shots. It was more like drowning really.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Shout Out To Big D




Whether you call him Double D, Big D, Derelict, Dirk Fedurkle, Fedurklus Humongus, or Derek he's my cousin and I love him. Send him you good thoughts today; he's going in for shoulder surgery. He's going to be out of the water for a few months, hopefully recovering behind the camera. Good luck Derek, and don't worry, its flat.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Check out the new Surfshot

HSD teamrider Nathan Carvalho has a sick shot on page 147 in the new Surf Shot magazine. He's on the prototype Sniper. Our EcoSurfer/teamrider Pat Zabrocki has a new article about "Save the Waves", a great organization.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Sniper


The Sniper is a new model we are rolling out. It is our teamrider Nathan Carvalho's new secret weapon. The Sniper is a low-rocker, high performance shortboard for all waves. The low rocker and V in the nose help with paddling. Single concave under your front foot going to V in the tail increases rail rocker and decreases stringer rocker, which aids in speed and maneuverability. The swallow tail elongates the rail and adds drive. The rail at the center of the board is full, making a "forgiving" rail and adds volume where you need it. This board is good for shredding all kinds of waves and should improve your surfing.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Materials for Surfboards


Here at HSD we offer a variety of materials for our surfboards. All boards are hand-crafted in the USA by surfers.

Poly boards- these are traditional boards made from polyurethane blanks and polyester resin. The boards are lightweight and durable, but not indestructible. Dings can be fixed with epoxy or poly kits. We recommend these boards when performance is key, as many people like the flex and "life" of poly boards. It takes about a week to glass a poly board, but with solar catalyst this process can be done in 24 hours, but it'll cost you. The base price we quote you is for a poly board.


Epoxy- these boards are made with expanded-polystyrene (EPS) blanks, epoxy resin, and x-glass. Epoxy resin is stronger than polyester resin and doesn't give off as many VOCs (not as stinky) so some glassers prefer to work with it. The blanks are lighter and therefore you can get stronger glass without making the board heavier. Epoxy boards are more durable than poly boards, but still ding and when they do you need to make sure to get them out of the water ASAP. Dings can only be fixed with epoxy kits, the styrene in polyester resin will eat away at the foam. Epoxy resin tends to yellow, so we recommend keeping the board out of the sun completely for at least 5 days after the last coat of resin goes on. We recommend these boards for people that don't use board bags, really like light boards, or need extra float.


Eco-boards- this is the greenest construction we offer. We special make the blanks with at least 30% post-consumer recycled EPS, FSC certified bamboo stringer, and laminate them with a linseed epoxy resin. Everything can be washed up with soap and water. The boards are lightweight and strong and don't get those little cracks where heal compressions happen. Dings can be fixed with regular epoxy kits. We make sure that the companies we source these materials from do their best to run a green business. We recommend these boards for everyone.

August is Our Month


In more ways than one, August is our month. We are ready to launch our eco-board, there is a great art display in North Park, and every time I look at the Global Surfrider calendar, I see the HSD logo. Expect to see a lot more of us this month....

Monday, August 10, 2009

Recycled Surf Resin Jewelry



The Ray at Night art show opening was a huge success. Hundreds of people came by to learn about how Andrea Holeman recycles leftover surfboard resin and other plastics into beautiful jewelry. On display that night was also HSD's new eco-board made from a recycled EPS blank and linseed resin. The display will be at Soul Ryde for the next month, so if you are in North Park, swing by and check it out.

3819 Ray St, San Diego, 92104

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Why Surf Custom?



Recently, we have overhead kids at surfshops telling customers that custom boards don't work. We've even heard them saying they NEVER work. Now, I realize they are just trying to move all their made-in-Thailand boards and aren't experienced sales people, but its been starting to irk me. I'd like to share with you some of the history of surfboard building and why custom boards are still around today.

Hawaii is said to be the birthplace of stand up surfing. Construction of surfboards, and surfing, was a deeply spiritual undertaking. Boards were hand-crafted from solid wood for the individual intending to ride it. There were ceremonies involved and the Hawaiians performed rituals to bless the boards, to summon waves, and the act of surfing was held in high regard. Surfing provided training for the chiefs, resolved conflicts, and was a courting ritual. Surfboards were prized possessions that determined social standing.

As materials changed, so too did the art of surfboard building, but the surfboard shaper was always an integral part of a surfer's experience. In recent times, surfing as become a commercialized sport with businesses realizing the money-making potential of surfing and surfboards. I see nothing wrong with this as it is the natural progression of a free-market society.

What I do have issue with is the trend away from custom surfboards. When surfboards are built for surfshops, shapers make boards that will work for most people in most conditions. For someone that is new to the sport, buying a board of the rack may be the easiest way to get a board to get started. Once that person has learned to maneuver their basic surfboard, they are ready to begin to refine their gear for the conditions they surf in. Today, shapers don't even make most boards offered in surfshops. Machines and workers have replaced talented craftspeople and surfboard design is starting to suffer.

When someone asks me why they should buy a custom board, I like to relate an analogy. Think of a surfboard as a basketball shoe, if you want to run faster and jump higher, you don't go buy the same exact shoe Michael Jordan wears, you buy a shoe that fits your foot. You might even go through those treadmill tests where an expert examines your gait and pairs you up with the perfect shoe for you. Surfboards are kind of like that. If you want something specific out of your surfing, say to surf faster or ride in the barrel better, you should go to an expert who can examine you, your stance, and your surfing. This expert, or shaper, will then pair you up with the right surfboard for where you want to take your surfing and knows how to refine a basic shape or model to compensate for factors you might not even consider like if you turn with your front or back foot, wether you are goofy or regular, and how much push the wave has. Its the little details put into a surfboard that will determine the success you have with your new board.

The surfer-shaper relationship is not a thing of the past. If you have a good shaper, they will be interested in the feedback you give them about your board and how its affects your surfing. They can explain how the concaves and rail shape will be expressed in your surfing so you know what to look for when riding it. Then, when you are ready for a new board, they will ask you again what you would like to change and where you would like to take your surfing. A good shaper wants to help you improve your surfing experience.

If custom boards didn't work, do you think that all of the best surfers in the world would only ride custom boards? Make no mistake about it, the guys and gals you see winning contests, surfing death-defying waves, and in videos all ride custom boards. Even if you don't want that for yourself, you will be doing your surfing a disservice by always buying boards off the rack. In order to progress, you need to understand hydro-dynamics and surfboard design, if only superficially or intuitively. An expert shaper can help you understand how your board will perform and the limits of the design you choose.

So I invite you to order a custom board and start a relationship with a shaper. JP Holeman is our shaper here at HSD, and he has dedicated his life to improving your surfing experience wether you are a beginner, just trying to learn some new tricks, an aspiring pro, or trying to qualify for the world championship tour. Each surfer offers an exciting set of challenges for JP, and he looks forward to seeing photos and hearing stories about your new board. JP is unique in that he wants to offer consultations to people ordering boards, he wants to see you surf, and he wants you to understand your board. JP invites people to watch him hand-shape their board so that he can explain the details he puts into the board. He wants to share his knowledge with you so that you can provide feedback for your next board, and he hopes to be able to work with you as you progress in the type of surfing you want to do.

HSD was founded by JP and Andrea because they wanted something specific out of their surfboards and surfing, and were having a hard time getting it. JP built boards and rode them, then had as many people as he could try out the boards. Over the years he has developed some tried-and-true designs that he can tune-up for individuals. Yes, its a business, but its also a passion. Surfing is still a spiritual experience for us, and we still value the surfer-shaper relationship as an integral part of the modern surf industry.

Ray At Night


The second Saturday of every month Ray St in North Park turns into a celebration of art. The street closes down, the shops and galleries stay open late, bands play, and art lovers come to enjoy the talents of local artist. This Saturday, August 8th, Andrea Holeman will be part of the celebration at the new Soul Ryde showroom located at 3819 Ray St.

She will be showing her recycled surf resin and vintage jewelry creations, paintings, and surfboards (including eco-friendly and Rad Girls boards). Come and join in the fun and experience a wonderful celebration on local art!

6-10 pm
3819 Ray St
San Diego CA 92104

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Cheers to Surfrider and New Belgium



Saturday, July 25th we hosted a party downtown at the Bare Back Grill. It was a celebration of activists, activism, and beer! Hooray beer!

The folks at New Belgium Brewing Company wanted to focus their national ad campaign for Skinny Dip Ale on the recent success of the Surfrider Foundation to stop the toll road. They carted a van full of activists around Laguna for a day were we shot the ad. I think that its easier to do this in a river, but we got it down after 3 locations.

PJ, the owner of Bare Back and a huge Surfrider Supporter, offered to let us host a party. We got a few kegs of Skinny Dip Ale and a few bottles of Barefoot wine, invited some Surfrider peeps, got Luke Kinney and Lewis to sing and play guitar for us, and proceeded to raise some money for the local Surfrider chapter. By the end of the night, we raised $450 in proceeds and $60 from the raffle.

So, cheers! To Surfrider, to New Belgium Brewery, to Bare Foot wines, and to activists! Keep up the good work!

Jenny Useldinger



Check out the August 6 Rolling Stone, Jenny is interviewed in there about a TV project she has been working on called "Isolated". I've seen the trailer, it gave me goose-bumps. Its like Survivor meets big-wave surfing, where 5 feral surfers hunt down the biggest, nastiest wave they can find. Can't wait to see the whole show!

HSD hooked up with Jenny about a year ago in Santa Cruz. We sat down across from this beautiful, smiling woman who showed us pictures of her surfing Mavericks and Waimea. Funny, she didn't look like she had balls, but the photos proved she did. JP and her hit it off and he shaped a few boards for her and can't wait to see her in September when she'll be swinging by the Shaping Shack.

We are so stoked to work with her, and hope that we can keep making bigger and bigger boards for her. Oh, and we just got the good news, she's pregnant. These photos from Indo, pregnant. You go, girl!

Monday, July 27, 2009

American Surf Designs


What is American Surf Designs? Its a TV reality show, think LA Ink but for surfboards. In each episode, JP and Andrea Holeman make boards for different customers- from pro surfers to celebrities to charities- and you get to see all the drama that ensues with their glasser, Wyatt Henderson, at their shaping shack/house, and with all the characters around them.

You'll see some good surfing, hilarious moments at the house, and all the love that goes into each and every board. This is the true Southern California surf life, not some glossy image of one.

Performance Surfboards


Surfboard performance is the driving force of JP's designs. He strives to design and build boards that compliment and improve your surfing. Lately he has been working with his team riders to create boards that perform well in less-than-ideal conditions. It is not as often as we would like that the waves are firing, so we spend a lot of time surfing small waves, just like you.

The Groveler is a board specifically designed with kinda weak, kinda small waves in mind. We recommend you ride it 2" shorter, 1/8" thinner and a 1/4" wider than your normal thruster. It comes standard with a swallow tail, and all of our team riders have been liking them- Nathan Carvalho, Cody Leutgens, Jesse Guglielmana, and Jenny Useldinger have all been riding them this summer.

The Cherry Bomb is another good small wave board. This board has a thick round tail that makes it easy for you to get out of the white wash on mushy waves. Its a loose board that will still surf fast on good waves. Taylor Dodge and Pat Zabrocki have been loving these for a while. The Cherry Bomb is also a good board for practicing airs and is one of those boards perfect for a one-board quiver.

We also offer shapes and designs not shown on the website. Some that we like to ride are the Hyper-single, the Plank, the Four-Fin Fish, and our super-custom 5-fin bonzers. Nathan has developed a new model, based on his suggestions for the Groveler, that is about to be released. Our team rider Luke Kinney has been surfing a one-of-a-kind performance longboard and placing well in contests, and he's not even a longboarder! He swears its as easy to surf as his Cherry Bomb and won't give it back. And, as always, if you have something in mind you'd like to try, ask. If JP likes the basic idea and design principles, he'll make you one.