Tyson St Board Demo

One thing is for sure, board demos are best when timed with swell!  We had a great day- good waves, good boards, and good friends.  Come on down next time, we're sure to have something you'll like.

During HSD board demos, shaper JP Holeman is on site (or in the water) to talk to you about board design and help match you up with the right board.  The point is to get wet and have some fun, so try 3 or 4 boards, mix up fins, and talk to a pro to improve your surfing experience.

New Shaping Room

JPs new shaping room is fully functional and packed with blanks to shape.  He's been shaping out Bill Johnson's factory for a few weeks now and its going great.  Great room, fun people, and best of all... not in our living room!

Moving Shaping Rooms

For the past 3+ years JP has lived and shaped out of his home in Oceanside, until his wife, me, decided living anywhere other than a surfboard factory might be nice for change.  So JP rented a shaping room from Bill Johnson (still in Oceanside, don't worry) and shaped his last boards at home last Friday.

JP was a little sad to say goodbye, but also excited for the new opportunity with Bill Johnson, and his now happy, dust-free wife.

After the boards were shaped, we loaded up the Prius and headed over to the new shaping room to set things up.  Then we had the huge task of moving all of our stuff into storage while we embark on a CA road trip.

 We underestimated the amount of stuff 2 business and a couple can store in an 1100 sq. ft place, so we had to give the spillover away.  Here, our friend scores an entire living room set, a bag of assorted sundries from the fridge, and an ice cold bottle of Jagermeister.  Thanks for taking that of our hands.

The best scores were found in the alley.  Thats where we left all the surfboards that were dinged, old, or just had nowhere to go.  Here, the neighborhood paleontologist scores a surfboard on his rollerblades.  I will miss the alley and the local bums.  Gotta love Oceanside.

After the move out and clean-up we packed the car and the dog and hit the road.  When we get back to SoCal, we'll still be making surfboards in Oceanside, but we'll be living in San Diego, closer to our roots and family.  Change is good.  Thanks 310 for the good times.

"You have to go out on a limb to get the fruit."

HUGE THANKS TO DEREK, RON, AND DAVE FOR THE HELP!!!  YOU GUYS RULE!!

Slightly Stoopid Board

Yesterday, Daniel De La Cruz from Slightly Stoopid swung by the shaping bay to get a new board shaped.  The board is actually a Rad Girls Surfboard we're customizing for De La.  JP shaped the BFF to De La's specs and Andrea is going to paint Stoopid's Skull Kiss artwork on it.  So stoked to work on this board.

A lucky fan won 2 cd's yesterday on the Rad Girls Surfboard facebook fan page.  Congrats Spencer of PB.

Another Satisfied Customer

I had to post this... I love opening emails like this, even if I had to edit it a bit :)  Love the enthusiasm, Liz.  For those of you that don't know Liz Lantz, get to know her amazing work and photos.

HOLY SH*T.
JP, the board is so f**king awesome. I just got back from my first sesh on it and it was one of the best sessions I've had in a long time. I wish I could surf all day, and I also wish I had told you and Andrea I was going out on the off chance you could've met up with me- didn't think of it till I was in the water.
Seriously, you did an AMAZING job and it is exactly what I wanted. It's so responsive and maneuverable, easy to paddle and get into waves....it is PERFECT for me. I think the ultimate test will be when I take it out on a big day (the waves are pretty small today), but the surf today was my favorite conditions so that says a lot right there.
Anyway,

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!
Liz

Custom Boards

Here at HSD we mostly sell custom boards to surfers that want something specific out of their surfing. Our Cherry Bomb model is a popular model. This one was custom made for Tanner, the generous owner of Cali Bamboo. He provided us FSC certified bamboo for the stringer and fins, we made a blank with post-consumer recycled styrofoam, and our buddy Woody hand-foiled his fins. Pure Glass laminated the whole thing with epoxy resin and Tanner is now surfing this board all around Sunset Cliffs and Blacks. He loves his new HSD Cherry Bomb and was stoked to contribute to the making of his custom board.

New Digs, Ya Dig?

HSD has a little more room thanks to a new office, board room, and jewelry studio. We just finished up the painting and are busy working away. There are only a few more touches before it will be complete. Enjoy the photos. Its nice to have more room:)

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.

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.

Surfrider and Green Boards

Last night's Surfrider meeting was about educating surfers on the greener options now available to surfers. The San Diego Chapter invited Ned Mc Mahon of Malama Composites, JP and Andrea Holeman, and shaper Jake Moss. Each company is trying to build a greener surfboard and lessen their carbon footprint. Everyone also agreed that the health of the people making the boards and materials was a big motivating factor to cleaning up the industry.

The surf industry is an old-fashioned and stubborn thing, especially when it comes to the building of surfboards. The technology used until Clark's closing in 2005 had been relatively unchanged since the 1950's, when foam cores were invented. Since 2005 there has been a rush of technology improvements and experiments to improve aspects of surfboard building. Its confusing for those of us in the industry to keep up with the different foams, what they are made of, what resin it needs, new epoxies, stronger cloths, and what fins and boxes are made from. I can't imagine a consumer trying to sort it all out, so Surfrider engaged us all in a discussion about greener options for surfboards.

Ned Mc Mahon is a great source of information. He thinks like a chemist, talks like someone that knows about composites, and really cares about worker's health and the environment. He's been leading green improvements for some time now and seems determined to educate consumers. He talked last night about ingredients in foam, resin, catalyst, and cloth. Ned explained that foam and resin can be made from basically any oil- soy, linseed, castor, petroleum- but there's really no getting around (yet) the toxic catalyst that account for less than 5% of the final products. He and Dan Van Zaten showed off a new Super "Green" surfboard that looks futuristic, but is a green option. There is no sacrifice on performance.

JP and I brought in a board Wyatt is laminating for me. It wasn't done yet, but it was good enough to explain what we have been working on lately. Its made with 30% post-consumer recycled styrofoam (we can get 100% now if you want it), a bamboo stringer, sealed with Elmer's glue, and laminated with a linseed epoxy. Everything can be washed up with soap and water. The fins are the tricky part. JP can hand-foil some from scrap wood if I want glass-ons, or i can just use Futures. Rumor has it they are going to be greening-up their fins and boxes because of demand, so thats good. JP and I try to run our business like we run our home- sustainable and green.

Jake Moss showed off his latest, tripped out design. Its made from locally sourced greener materials and has bamboo fins also made locally. The bamboo fin was an interesting story- the guy making them chose bamboo because of it strength and flex and didn't even realize or care that he had a greener product. Jake talked about durability, how any oil can be epoxified, and hemp.

The three presenters all proclaimed the same message really. There are green surfboards, not in stores yet, so you'll have to look around and ask for them. You can get greener, custom, hand-shaped boards that perform and last. Surfboard builders are striving for cleaner, safer work environments. The "Wal-Mart" mentality of cheap, cheap, cheap has all but made the once booming and revered craft of surfboard building an "endangered species". Smaller carbon-footprints are good.

Change starts small, change starts local, and change starts with you!

Green Surfboards

JP has always wanted to make high-performance, environmentally sound surfboards. Something that is not poisonous to the workers or the immediate surroundings. Something that maybe biodegrades or can be recycled. For past Surfrider events he has collaborated with other environmentally-conscious surfboard builders to create better boards.

What makes a surfboard green though? Is it taking TDI out of foam? Must it be all-natural? We at HSD have some opinions on this that we would like to share.

First, you vote with your dollars. Consumers are the best catalyst for change in business. If you, an eco-minded surfer, want a high performance board made from recycled foam that is durable, ask. If you keep showing up with money in your hand and leave without buying when you can't get what you want, businesses will notice. And change.

Second, there are different aspects to consider when thinking about "going green". If you want to lessen your foot-print and support local businesses, then order a durable epoxy hand-shape from a local shaper that gets boards glassed by surfers in your area. Take it one step further and ask about a blank made from recycled foam or plant-based linseed epoxy. Did you know that styrofoam can be recycled over and over again while retaining all of its virgin properties? Its about as recyclable as aluminum. An important note on the "durable is green" arguement is care. You need to take care of your board and fix dings properly in order for it to last.

Next, we realize that it is a big investment to buy a board made in a new, possibly experimental technology. The board may not come out as fast as "regular" boards and it might be hard to fix. Ask yourself, what kind of car do you drive? A new H3 or a Prius? Why didn't you buy the car that spends more on marketing, because you know that long-lasting environmental degradation is not cool. Ask your shaper or surfshop kid about technologies, feedback from people who tried the boards, how you can try a board, and just be interested in green technology.

Finally, change takes time so be patient and keep asking. Just be willing to experiment, be prepared for some room for improvement, and engage other surfers in discussions about green technologies. Be the change you want to see, isn't that what they say. If you want to learn more, swing by the Surfrider chapter meeting in Oceanside this Weds, July 15. JP and other surfboard builders will be talking about what they've seen and tried, what they are going to try next, and take questions.

Hollywood and Rad Girls

HSD spent Saturday, Feb 28th in Hollywood filming and doing a photo shoot with The Rad Girls. HSD started making boards for the girls and this was the first promo shoot for the new brand. There will also be a special "collector's edition" coming out soon....