CARVE Retro Board Guide 2010

SURFING MAGAZINE

The great retro movement is dead. What sprung up as an underground anti shortboard revolution has been well and truly swallowed whole by the masses, infiltrated shortboard design and even ended up a big scene on the high street. Retro is sooo commercial now, the past has been packaged up by the mainstream and resold as the latest thing.

Surfing is better for it though. Nowadays surfers can and do ride anything. Hot young kids throw around retro influenced fish crossovers, then jump on an old 80’s twinny, pull out a keel fin fishes, or jump on a mal when it’s small. Mal addicts have come the other way. Pulled down in length by the gleaming resin tints and foam laden classic shapes from the 60’s and 70’s they have refound the joy of shorter sticks. As a result the barriers between shortboards, retroheads and a longboarders have become a hazy blurr.

Haryley Ingleby is a classic example. The current ASP World Longboard champ grew up looking up to shortboarders, discovered the fun of riding mals, but on any given day can be found riding just about anything he can find. He’s not as famous as Slater, but he rips on a diverse range of equipement. You can check him out on page 78.

Our younger generation of ‘longboarders’ are no different. They are all now making big strides on the Europe and World longboarding tours, but to pigeonhole

them as ‘longboarders’ would be to do them an injustice.

It’s just one facet of the art of waveriding in which they excel. They just live to ride. As proved in this examination of thier quivers from page 82.

Likewise Jools Mathews is a man possessed. He loves fish, mals and everything in between. In between surfing, shaping, surfing, sanding, surfing and running Gulf Stream surfboards in Croyde he rang us up to tell us he wanted to write about his obsession. We said ok. Then he went surfing. Eventually he ran out of energy and sat down and wrote. So here it is. (p84) In between you will find a while range of beautiful boards to savour. There are details of how they ride, and where to find them. Retro is dead, long live retro. Enjoy!

shieldsy

Dane Pioli floats his log at snapper.

the other world champ

Text and Photos: Moonwalker

Harley taking a progressive approach to longboarding. He’s one of new breed of complete surfer comfortable on all manner of equipment.

Harley Ingleby is he 2009 ASP World Longboard Tour champion, but chances are you may not have heard of him. He has no multi million dollar sponsorship, no super star ex girlfriends, no drug habit, no arrest warrants and has never been pulled over by customs having his boards broken into bits for a narcotics search. If only for these facts alone it’s a pretty safe bet that at this juncture of his life, he’s never going to be offered a tell-all, explosive book deal; ala Slater, Rabbit, Occy or MP. But Harley simply surfs, and surfs extremely well – he’s not a boring person, but while his compatriots in the shortboard scene are on talk shows, tv game shows and advertising this, that and the other he’s happy to just go surf.

Harley hails from a tiny beachside town just north of Coffs Harbour on the Australian New South Wales North Coast. An area of the world where coastal communities are

scattered like shells on the sand and small town values are held in high esteem.

While he’s unarguably a gifted longboard surfer it’s interesting to note that the current ASP World Longboard Champion spends the majority of his water time riding quad shortboard fishes; “incredibly fast and loose” he says of them. Surfing longboards was initially a social event with his father and friends.

“My initial influence for everything has been my dad” smiles Harley warmly, “Longboarding was there from the start, my first three boards were longboards but with my dad having such a large board collection I was very fortunate to have all types of boards surrounding me from a young age. I was able to try all sorts and it was great to be able to ride single fins to begin with, that really helped smooth my style out. In my

carve surfing magazine 15

Upside down on a fish (above), a cool ten on a log, and walking the wire.

Man’s definitely got balance!

16 carve surfing magazine

A nice carving cutty on his fish.

mid-teen years I was still competing in both long and shortboard competitions. As I became more exposed to the international surfing world I’d have to say the surfing of Kelly Slater, Rob Machado and the guys in that era most caught my eye. All the early Taylor Steele movies and Justin Gain’s movie Pulse; I used to watch those non-stop.

But when I went away with my family and friends to the longboard events I found myself really enjoying both the competitive and social sides – everything for me grew from that, it wasn’t really a conscious decision to be a longboard champion, that’s just how it panned out.”

When not around contests Harley has no specific board agenda, “I ride whatever board to suit the conditions, I don’t ride the same thing all the time. It’s always fun trying new boards and new improvements I’ve been working on with my shaper Billy Tolhurst. But riding retro boards (‘70s to early ‘80s shapes – encompassing single, twin and twinzer fin setups) really makes you learn to tap into the waves power and to surf off a rail - whereas some of the kids these days just jump straight onto a wafer thin thruster and are surfing really flat off their fins, simply because they have a good fin setup to push off from. Riding retro boards is a good base to learn how to turn a board properly and learn how boards work.” He has a very valid point, to put it a little more into perspective; Formula One drivers don’t jump into an F1 racing car right at the start of their driving careers do they?

His boards are honed to the nth degree, Harley explains; “My high performance longboard’s are 9’1” x a fraction under 22” wide x 2 ¾” thick x 17” nose, a pretty standard bottom shape, fairly flat under the nose, no radical concaves or anything, maybe a subtle vee or double concave then flattening out in the back of the board and a nice, even rocker. For my shortboards I like riding 5’11”’s quads, and again no crazy bottoms, just subtle and simple curves. 90% of the time I’m riding quad shortboards, I love them, I find they have less resistance and more hold, they’re a lot quicker on the face and hold speed through turns better. Having those two fins on the outside rail means you can ride short, wide boards in really hollow sections and they still hold in.”

Contemporary surfers Harley looks up too include . . .“Dane Reynolds, Jordy Smith, those guys have taken surfing to a whole ‘nother level. It’s been a while since surfing has taken a noticeable step up. And those guys have done it in the past 12 to 24 months. On the longboard scene there’s so many, but Bonga, Ned Snow, fellow Aussie Jarryd Neal, Antoine Delpero and Ben Skinner all standout. Such a variety of talent, personalities and style – that’s what makes the longboard scene so interesting I reckon.”

“High performance is where it’s at for me, I don’t like riding my longboard when it’s small. From head high to double overhead are optimum conditions for HP [high performance] longboards to start performing really well, I mean you have such a long board you need a bit of room for solid turns. On really hollow days HP longboards are so much fun, especially in peaky beachbreaks. It’s easier to get into the wave at the right angle, to be in the right spot and to get into the waves far earlier than on a shortboard.”

“I think with the way the whole retro surf deal has become more mainstream over the past few years I really believe it’s helping to blur the lines between longboarding and shortboarding. A surfer is a surfer, no matter what type of board they ride, that’s the bottom line. I really do believe that the longboarding culture is moving forward, once more corporate companies start getting involved, and now with some surf events being televised live, things are only going to get better for surfing and longboarding.”

Harley’s future is sure to be big and his vision is bold.

“My hunger is still there to win consecutive world titles, I’m ready to see how far I can take this. In short I want to win more titles and see more of the world.” Not a bad goal for a lad from a small coastal town and has already come so far at the ripe old age of 26.

Harley’s tips for better surfing are quite simple “You have to be enjoying your surfing, if you’re not enjoying it, you won’t improve. You have to surf as much as you’re able. Having a fun board for all conditions will increase you water time. Also ride different boards. They all have different characteristics and getting them dialed will not only open your mind to which designs you like but will improve you surfing overall. Get to know your boards well.

Don’t chop and change, really feel them out. And finally, most importantly build up a relationship with a shaper who’s boards you really like and get on well with. Working with a shaper who knows your style will ensure you surf better, guaranteed.

carve surfing magazine 17

jacob cockle

Rob Wright 9'6" Noserider The slide65 board is shaped by my boss from Towans Timber Frames Rob Wright.

He has only shaped a handful of boards and this one is a 9'6" Noserider. I just use this when it is small long walls where you can camp on the nose. I feel it is good to have a good noserider in your boards to work on your footwork and style.

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Thomas Bexon 9'6" This board is another 9'6" shaped by Thomas Bexon from Noosa Australia, it is my good friends board Alex White. He keeps it at my house for when he comes to the UK, so I am kind of baby sitting it for him, but it’s another amazing noserider.

Bilbo This board is such a classic board to ride, I won the 60’s style masters on this board. It is a really heavy board so quite hard to manouvere but on the nose it powers through sections you thought you would never make. I love riding old boards it opens your mind to different styles of surfing.

Sennen, Cornwall James is shortboarder turned longboarder and fast heading up the European Longboard Tour ranks. He has a reputation for being one of the most stylish longboarders in Europe. When he's home James will ride anything from alaia’s, old shortboards to full on noseriders. He’s a stylemaster and all round ripper.

Skindog surfboards These three Skindog surfboards are the best boards I have ever had! Designed by Ben Skinner, shaped by Chris Harris and glassed by Jason Grey. They are my day to day boards and surf amazing in all conditions. My surfing has progressed through riding these boards and recommend them to everyone.

My Alaia This was hand shaped by Tom Wegener and he didn’t use any power tools for this board it is 6'4". I love riding these boards it is such an amazing sensation sliding on waves with a wooden board and no fins with way more speed than you can get out of any normal board.

5'7"Bob McTavish This is my favourite board of all time a 5'7" twin fin shaped

by Bob McTavish in 1980.

I picked this board up in Australia a couple of years ago. I can get in the water with this board and know that I will have a fun surf every time. It surfs so loose and smooth.

This board is a 6'6" single fin I don’t get this board in the water as much as I would like to. It is good when the waves are big and fat because it has a lot of volume in it and really draws out your turns making them smooth and flowing.

Fact.”

“Both Tom Curren and Kelly Slater learnt to surf on twin fins, any footage of them surfing will show you clearly how much they use their rails.

Better than anyone else.

Taking advice from anyone can be tough, let alone your Grandmother.

So as a child when my Gran repeatedly said to me “you should try to learn something new every day” I didn’t appreciate what she meant. However, after a lifetime spent surfing and shaping I can tell you she was onto something.

We all have to learn to surf to be able to call ourselves ‘surfers’ of course. However, once you are past the basics, it is just as important (perhaps more so) to maintain the pace of learning. Why? Because by continuing to learn you will realise that you are getting better all of the time and that will encourage you to surf more often.

For experienced surfers one of the best ways to achieve more growth in your surfing is to ride different boards. So one way a shortboarder, for example, can benefit from riding a by jools mathews fish is that a fish has no middle fin. By removing your trailing fin a fish will teach you to use your rails much more effectively. Both Tom Curren and Kelly Slater learnt to surf on twin fins, any footage of them surfing will show you clearly how much they use their rails. Better than anyone else. Fact.

But it’s not just experienced surfers can learn from riding a fish/ retro board. By adjusting the dimensions to suit your own ability everyone can enjoy the benefits of extra speed and easy paddling (particularly in weaker, summer surf) provided by the wider planning surface, increased volume and flatter rocker.

The general rule is that you ride them at least four to six inches smaller than your standard board. However, if you don’t drop the length quite as much the extra volume can be a huge help for intermediate surfers or even older guys who want an easier life paddling without having to give up on shortboarding completely by riding a longboard. There are a huge variety of boards in this ‘fun’ category so if you find yourself confused make sure you check the board guides, then find a good reputable surf shop with a knowledgeable salesman who will give you good advice, or even better consult a reputable shaper. (Go to carvemag.com and have look through the board guides to find retailers and shapers near you) Given the opportunity I have always said all surfers should learn to longboard as well. Longboarding and more especially noseriding is an art unto itself and very much part of the ‘complete’ surfing experience that absolutely every level of surfer can enjoy. Learning to nose ride on a longboard will teach you balance, timing and style that no amount of flapping on a shortboard could ever do.

In the broadest of terms there are two types of longboard. Firstly there is the traditional single fin log. Thick, wide and flat they can make even six inches of surf seem like fun and provide the perfect cruising platform for endless hang tens. Secondly there is the HP (high performance) longboard. Made to be a lot more manoeuvrable with more rocker, less volume and generally with a three fin set up. You won’t get such long nose rides or the ‘glide’ of the traditional log but only a quick glance at pro surfers like Dudley and Ben Skinner and you will see them do turns on a longboard that will make your average shortboarder blush.

Of course the best knock on effect of owning a quiver is that you will have equipment that can perform in a huge range of surf. The truth is, whether you live inland or by the coast, surfing time is limited.

Swells come and go, the tide and the wind change and therefore so should your boards if you want to make the most of the time you have. Try not to think of yourself exclusively as a ‘shortboarder’ or a ‘longboarder’ and just be a ‘surfer’.

As it goes when my Gran said to me about learning something new every day I’m pretty sure she wasn’t talking about surfing, I think she meant learning a new Latin verb everyday! But I’m also sure that she would be very happy to know that I am still learning about surfing, learning keeps me keen to surf as often as I can and that keeps me fit.

And by staying fit I hope to surf and live for a long time.

Thanks Gran.

Luke Young

Luke Young

Surf Tech

Model:

Model:

Model:

The Vulcan

Dirty Bastard Quad

Joel Tudor Dead Fish

Specifications:

Specifications:

Specifications:

5'10" x 21" x 2 5/8”

5'6" x 19¾ " x 2¼”

5'10" x 21" x 2 3/4"

Shaper:

Shaper:

Shaper:

Luke Young

Luke Young

Bill Shrosbree

A rounded pin five-fin convertible, The Vulcan favours the heavier surfer in smaller, weaker surf. It has a super low nose entry with natural mid to tail rocker and a deep single concave through to slight double in the fins which flows out into a light vee in the tail to aid rail-to-rail transition.

A full deck volume gives the Vulcan great buoyancy without compromising performance.

A small-to-medium wave quad with low entry and exit rockers for increased speed and a full nose template. It has subtle single concave through to a slight panel vee through the tail so it flies through flat sections and breaks sharply into tight turns at speed. The fin set up has twin fin sides, and a pair of trailer fins at the back giving huge amounts of drive whilst still maintaining responsiveness.

The Dead Fish, designed

by Bill Shrosbree, is and easy to ride, quick turning, easy paddling, and super fast fish. The gentle retro style rocker and twin fin setup provide great drive and speed through flat sections and down the line.

Tel: 07789663693 Website: www.

Lukeyoungshapes.co.uk

Tel: 01205 722745 Website: www.SurfCom. co.uk

Tel: 07789663693 Website: www.

Lukeyoungshapes.co.uk

Pavel

DVS

McCoy

Model:

Model:

Model:

Pavel Keel Fish

DVS Rocket Fish

McCoy Pot Belly

Specifications:

Specifications:

5'8"x 21" x 2¾”

Specifications:

5'11" x 21½" x 2¾"

Shaper:

6'6" x 22" x 3"

Shaper:

Shaper:

Dick Van Straalen

Geoff McCoy

A performance board based on the Classic DVS fish, but faster and looser.

More nose lift than the classic fish and a tighter outline with a little less volume. Features the “Rasta keels” which are cupped to provide more drive, and the top deck is concave at the rear of the board which lets you push harder against the wave in turns.

The McCoy Pot Belly Nugget is one of the most popular shortboard models we sell. Designed to surf as radically as you want, in a wide variety of wave types and sizes. It’s smaller, curvier and fuller in the nose than the standard Nugget for smooth, easy and exciting surfing. With Geoff’s unique bottom curve – the loaded dome – which neutralizes reaction giving more control and stability, anyone can get hop on and charge.

Rich Pavel With a timeless and universal appeal, this classic fish has exceptional performance in a wide range of conditions. It utilises fully accelerated curves, a deep cut tail, full rails, beak nose and a slight concave deck with a subtle vee to single-barrel after burner. Shaped and signed

by Rich Pavel.

Tel: 01736 757025 Website: www. downthelinesurf.co.uk

Tel: 01736 757025 Website: www. downthelinesurf.co.uk

Tel: 01736 757025 Website: www. downthelinesurf.co.uk

Creamed Honey 7'2" 1975-ish.

Made in North Devon

by Kevin Cross. These boards were works of art.

I’ve picked up a few over the years and this is my favourite.

Brewer 8'6" I bought this off Jeff Crawford in Hawaii a few years ago. (Jeff won the the Pipe Masters in the 70s).

I’ve had some nice waves at sunset on this thing, it paddles in beautifully

Braunton, North Devon

Crab Island 6'1" 1985 This board was given to me my a customer who’d found it languishing in a neighbours shed. Shaped

by Craig Hughes it’s one of the best boards I’ve ever ridden.

Skelly man who owns 70 boards all of which he keeps in a tiny old Devon cottage near Braunton.

Most of them are from different times in UK board history. They hang off rafters, and in racks in every room in his house. This is man who loves surfboards!

Pavel 5'4" This was given to me by Rich for by 40th birthday. Nice!

Gulf Stream 5'9"speeddialler It’s basically a copy of Pavel's design wit a couple of tweeks, it’s brilliant in 4ft fast peelers.

Crab Island 5'4" 1982/83 Shaped again by Craig Hughes. Carwyn Williams was holding this board in a 1983 issue of Surf Scene. It was once bought for three pounds from Ilfracombe tip; unfortunately not by me!

Chapman 8'4" I bought this in Hawaii on my first trip there with Cotty. It was only about a hundred quid! I love the tint by Jack Reeves. It was before we’d started doing any pigment work at Gulf Stream and this was the board that inspired Cotty to get into tints.

Blue Hawaii 6'5" Pottz Twinzer I spotted this one on the roof of a car going past the shop in Braunton. The traffic lights were smiling on me that day, a quick sprint and bonnet dive and it was mine for less than a night out at the Thatch. I ride this a lot. Its fast and lateral, built for floaters.

Fulmar quad 5'10" 1983/84 I used to surf at Polzeath as a kid /teenager so I was surrounded by Bunty’s boards (now shaping under Local Hero) all through the 80's. I had some lovely boards off him through the 80s and early 90s so this is a nostalgia thing! This board reminds me of being a kid!

Lightning Bolt Surfboards Model:

Model:

MR Retro Wing Swallow Tail Twin Fin

Pin Tail Mini Gun – Single Fin

Specifications:

Gulf Stream 6'8" and 7'6" I love the blue pinnie. I've had it for about four years now, and it’s been to Ireland and Scotland loads, as well as being my ride of choice for big low tide Croyde.

It’s jolly nice in the green room.

Julian shaped the 7'6" for Sunset about 10 years ago. Somehow the board has survived winters in Hawaii, Western Australia, Portugal and Madeira. I’ve nearly drowned a couple of times attached to this board!

Lightning Bolt Surfboards

6'4" x 20 ½ " x 2 3/8” Shaper:

Graham Smith Step back in time for the ultimate retro experience.

A great two fin board for summer, based on the Lightning Bolt boards Mark Richards was riding during his Freeride / Hawaii domination days.

Tel: 01872 553911 Website: www. lightningbolt.eu.com

Specifications:

6'6" x 21 9/16" x 2 3/8" Shaper:

Graham Smith A Gerry Lopez revival board, shaped by Graham Smith for medium to bigger waves. An epic shape with super easy paddling characteristics.

Graham Smith owns Gee Force Surfboards (which was established under the influence of the Shaun Tomson era around 1978) and has over 40 years of shaping experience. He recently began working with Lightning Bolt on the creation of the new surfboard collection.

Exciting times...

Tel: 01872 553911 Website: www. lightningbolt.eu.com

Seahorse belly board 1968 This is the board my mum rode when she was pregnant with me and painted by my dad.

There was a matching one with a shark on it. Unfortuneately I broke that one using it as a jump for my Raleigh Chopper (during my evel knievel stage!). I rode this last week!

Ocean magic 6'0" 1981 I have a fondness for Ocean Magics. Again they remind me of being a kid. Nigel Semmens used to kill it in the 80s and whenever I saw him in the water, I was always amazed how much spray used to fly around! I had a great OM quad shaped by Pete McCallum when I was about sixteen. It was Rabbit Hill's old board. The spray was cool and it rode really well.

Gulf Stream Model:

The Stickleback Specification:

5'10" x 19 3/8" x 2 ¼" Not all shortboarders want the retro feel of the keel fin fish. The Stickleback is made for those surfers who want to keep some of the traditional Fish advantages of flatter rocker and extra width but combined with the tight shortboard turns provided by a pulled in tail.

It has a thruster set up with double wingers (resembling the spikes on the back of stickleback fish, hence the name) the wide point is forward a couple of inches and there is a deep single concave. A truly modern hotdog hybrid. Yippee.

Tel: 01271 870831 Website: www. gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk

Gulf Stream Model:

Keel Fin Fish Specification:

5'8" x 20 ½" x 2 3/8" This is our signature fish model that helped us win best UK and Ireland Fish shaper. The design is hugely influenced by the original split tail, twin fin fish invented by the great Steve Lis. The reason that the Fish became such a revolution the first time around in the 70’s is the same reason that our Keel Fin Fish is such a potent design today. That is to say that you get the kind of total involvement surfing and blinding horizontal speed that modern shortboards lack.

Tel: 01271 870831 Website: www. gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk

carve surfing magazine 23

Circle One

Circle One

Custard Point

Model:

Model:

Model:

Quad fish

Custom Round Tail

Rocket fish

Specifications:

Specifications:

Specifications:

6'2" x 21" x 2¼"

7'1" x 21½ " x 2 ¼"

6'10" x 22¼" x 3"

Shaper:

Shaper:

Shaper:

Jeff Townsley

Jeff Townsley

Tim Mellors

This full-template fish is a blend of classic and modern. It’s designed to catch waves easily while the quad setup adds acceleration through turns and over flat spots. It has a ‘wing’ swallow tail and double concave, and will give your surfing a boost in smaller surf whilst still being great fun when it gets bigger.

Ideal for progressing from a large mini-mal to a thruster, or as a short board for the bigger guy. The forgiving width disguises a board that will perform in all conditions with speed and surprising responsiveness.

Made from a hand shaped EPS foam blank with genuine wood stringer and an innovative sandwich construction utilising epoxy resin and fibreglass, with multiple layers of nerocross link honeycomb material.

The Rocket Fish is a dream for the smaller slower waves found in the UK. Features include a flatter rocker for speed and wave catching, great width for stability and planing, and vee in the tail for superb rail to rail transition. Chined rails also give a lot of release and the Rocket Fish has a flatter deck for maximum volume and stability. Available in twin keel, or quad fin set ups.

Tel: 01363 773005 Website: www.circle-one. co.uk

Tel: 01363 773005 Website: www.circle-one. co.uk

Tunnel Vision Model:

Single Fin Specifications:

6'2" 19 ¾" 2½" With retro thickness and volume, the Tunnel Vision Single Fin is a dream to paddle and is packing a rounded pin, which makes it great for tube-riding. Bust out the ‘soul man’ moves, feel the love and enjoy the flow...

Tel: 01637 879033 Website: www. bilbosurfshop.co.uk

Tel: 01637 872579 Website: www. longboardhouse.co.uk

Tunnel Vision

Bilbo

Model:

Model:

Hollywood

Rocket Fish

Specifications:

Specifications:

5'10" x 20½" x 2 5/8"

5'6" x 20¼" x 2½"

Perfect step-up from a fish. With a fishy outline and rocker and a double bump round tail, it’s the board you will be seeing everywhere this summer...

With a quad setup, the recommended size is about 4 inches shorter than your shortboard. Beware: this board is highly addictive!

The Rocket Quad is a performance fish. Its quad fin configuration allows for amazing manoeuvrability and lightening down-theline speed, coupled with the freedom to go vertical at any time you want – this board lets you push your limits. This is our most exciting board yet and – from knee high slop to the speed runs at Peniche – this board really does cover it all.

Tel: 01637 879033 Website: www. bilbosurfshop.co.uk

Tel: 01637 879033 Website: www. bilbosurfshop.co.uk

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Gulf Stream Model: Saunton Slider

The best way to think of this board is front half traditional, back half modern. It’s got a wide nose riding platform upfront with pinched 50/50 rails and a large nose concave, but although the tail remains fairly wide it has a pintail with hard rails - much like a shortboard. The Slider suits anyone who wants to longboard, and also suits surfers that don’t want the bulk of a traditional noserider, and those who are a bit too ‘stately’ in proportions for progressive mals! Tel: 01271 870831 • Website: www.gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk

TIKI Model: The 63 • Specification: 10" x 23¾" x 3¼" • Shaper: Tiki A true old school slider. Soft rails, flat rocker, wide and long with a custom made cutaway skeg fin. This board will glide on small waves, trim and nose ride like no other. The skeg fin will anchor the tail for nose rides but flex into a turn for smooth soul arch bottom turns or long, drawn out cutbacks. 2 + 1 find set up. Summer joy... Tel: 01271 812442 • Website: www. tikisurf.co.uk

TIKI Model: McTavish, The Original SLX • Specifications: 9’1” x 22½” x 3¼” • Shaper: Bob McTavish

The McTavish Original was the board that brought modern longboarding into the 21st Century! With a radical three-stage rocker, a flat centre section for fast paddling, and a flipped nose and tail for fast, loose, down-the-line surfing. This board works best with a bit of weight stripped out, and the SLX epoxy construction delivers this perfectly. The Original is an ideal addition to any shortboarder’s quiver, or a high-performance option for the fish/longboard crew. Tel: 01271 812442 • Website: www.tikisurf.co.uk

Custard Point Model: Custard Point Classic • Specifications: 9'1" x 22½" x 2 7/8" • Shaper: Tim Mellors The Custard Point “Classic” model is the baby brother of the 9'1" classic. Superb manoeuvrability, paddling and amazing noseriding characteristics, make this model one of the best “all round” longboard shapes in the world. Designed for the surfer who wants one board to work well in the widest variety of surf conditions. The rocker, planshape and rails work in harmony to make this model a true “classic”. Tel: 01637 872579 • Website: www.longboardhouse.co.uk

Circle One Model: Custom Longboard • Specifications: 9'2" x 22 ½" x 2 ¾" • Shaper: Jeff Townsley Whether you want to walk the board or carve from the tail, this board allows you to surf with confidence, style and grace. Hand Shaped EPS foam blank with genuine wood stringer.

Sandwich construction utilising epoxy resin and fibreglass with layers of nero-cross link honeycomb material. 2 side fins + 8” centre fin. Summer gliding joy... Tel: 01363 773005 • Website: www.circle-one.co.uk

Bilbo Surf Shop Model: Natural Rhythm Tanker • Specifications: 9'1" x 23¼" x 3¼" The Tanker is a mal with width, length and thickness - making it not only a great entry level board, but also a great add-on to your quiver for those small summer days when you just need to have some fun... The 2 + 1 fin set up allows you to experiment between single fin and thruster styles too. Tel: 01637 879033 • Website: www.bilbosurfshop.co.uk

carve surfing magazine 25

Perranporth, Cornwall

mike searle

Ben is umber two in the world, dominator of the UK longboarding scene and Britains highest placed surfer on the World Longboard Tour, but he'll ride anything you put in front of him’ From fish, to shortboards to tow boards, two foot to twenty he rips on them all.

Performance Noserider I use this board on those days we get a lot of, weak fat and hard to catch. This boards extra volume, unique bottom contours and consistant rocker makes it work in anything. It’s the key to a contest in rubbish waves for me, but a great all round board for the bigger guys/girls. It’s loose off the tail, good on the nose, and will catch anything.

Lufi/Skindog Model This board means a lot to me. The influence Lufi has had on me and board design is priceless and I cant thank him enough. This model is very special and the team riders love it. Every event for as long as I can remember have ended with this model holding 1st 2nd and 3rd!

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Hydro Longboard Following on from the twin fin, the longboard is amazing too. Bufo have changed the technology slightly by adding a valve to the deck of the board, so, by adding and releasing air, you can change the flex of your board. Definately the best surfboard construction around today in my opinion.

Hydro Twin This Hydroflex Twin fin shaped by Bufo, I took to Aus last year. It is one of the best boards I have ever surfed, the technology is amazing and from this we decided we had to make a longboard in the Hydroflex technology.

Gunther Rohn We are lucky enough to start working with Gunther Rohn, a well known shaper around the world based on the Gold Coast. This board feels unbelievable, really reponsive and there is no doubt that Gunthers designs are sick!

Tow board This is my new tow board. Chris Harris, Ben Granata and myself designed it and it will soon be getting its maiden voyage.

Tow boards are totally different realm to normal boards so we have a lot more to explore and I cant wait.

Transformer After surfing longboards and twin fins most of the time, I wanted something with a bit of everything in it. This board is really versatile, great for slabby barrels as well as flying in the junk that we mainly get. It will catch pretty much anything, and with the 4+1 fin setup, you can surf it as a twin, 3 ,4 or 5 fin, single fin, 2+1 and basically any other fin configuration you can think of. If I could only take one board on a trip, it would be this.

Newport, Wales Elliot is another of Britains best young longboarders. He’s a former European and BLU champion and another surfer who rips on just about anything you can give him. From SUP’s down to tiny fish he’s got a board for every condition. He’s going to SUP across the channel for SAS, so make sure you make a donation.

5'10" Al Merrick Flyer I got this board through PJ’s shop. It’s the second one I've had and is probably my favourite “normal” shortboard. I don’t really ride anything too thin and narrow and this board is so smooth to ride, it’s a little fatty! If I ever go anywhere with good punchy, hollow waves like France this is pretty much the only board I’ll ride.

9' high performance shaped by Dave Stubbs in Cape Town (2+1 setup).

It’s custom epoxy and super light. It's probably one of my favourite contest boards as it’s so light and responsive. It does everything pretty well and literally goes in anything from 1ft to as big as you want. It’s the only one I’ve got and I’ve already creased it so it only comes out on special occasions!

This is another Bing 9'6" pintail lightweight model. This model is from the late 60’s when boards were becoming more maneuverable and lighter with less focus on noseriding and more on turns. It is a great all round log and still noserides insane but it’ll hold a bit better in the steeper stuff.

I love riding this board on those howling offshore days when everyone else is struggling, it just flies!

7' Pink Takayama Egg I’ve had this board for about 10 years and don't ride it as much as I should. It’s such a smooth and fast board.

It goes great in overhead, lined up waves. I’ve had some great surfs in the Canaries on this board and as it’s a single fin you have to really draw out your turns.

will bailey

9'4" Bing Lovebird from California (singlefin). It is such a nice board and pretty much the best all round single fin I’ve ridden. It is a solid noserider but with a Greenough 4A fin it is super snappy off the tail. If I wanted to take one proper longboard on a surf trip it would be this one. Plus it's got a sick fabric inlay and is a work of art in my opinion!

9' Quiver Surfboards This is shaped by Mark Neville at Seabase. Mark is one of the best longboard shapers in the country and I went to him with a T.Patterson longboard I had from California and asked him to make a copy. This is another one of my contest boards and is a great all rounder. It noserides really well for such a high performance board.

10'3" Takayama Alii SUP by Surftech This is the SUP I use most of the time. I do have a 14ft distance board but this is so much easier to carry round so I do most of my distance training on this. It's also super fun to ride on those junk days where you wouldn't bother surfing otherwise. It actually noserides amazingly well! I've been covering a fair bit of distance on this board training for the SAS Challenge 2010 where I will be trying to set a new record for crossing the English Channel and hopefully raise a load of money for SAS. (If you want to donate go to http://www.justgiving. com/elliot-dudley)

9'6" Bing NR2 single fin This is another Californian beauty. It is a lighter version of the original Bing noserider and is pretty much a one trick pony. It is one of the best noseriders I’ve ever had and is so much fun to ride. You can literally camp out on the nose, cruise through sections and hang ten all day. I love riding this board at Ogmore rivermouth when it's 1-2foot and super steep. The tail will never slide out, it’s epic!

5'6" Quiver Quad Fish This is another board shaped by Mark Neville and is based on the Rich Pavel speed dialler. It's super fat and stubby but with the quad set up it holds in surprisingly well. Great for slack summer days but I rode it in some pretty heavy stuff in Hossegor at Easter and had a blast. This board will be going everywhere with me this summer!

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Surf Tech Model: 9'1" McTavish Fireball • Specifications: 9'1" x 22 3/4" x 2 7/16" • Shaper: Bob McTavish

Subtle refinements make it friendly, versatile, predicable and reliable! The rocker being just right, the bevels, the fin placement, the rail volume. Don’t take it for a softy! The Fireball rips!

The board itself would suit anyone wanting a responsive modern longboard that they can still improve their noseriding skills with. This combined with the sheer strength of Surftech's board construction make the board perfect for the personal who wants one mal for everything.

Luke Young Model: Circa '63 • Specifications: 9'4" x 22" x 3 1/8" • Shaper: Luke Young This is an early sixties California replica model, with a narrow nose and wider tail template. It has rolled vee throughout with 50/50 rails and comes with a classic Rainbow D fin. An absolute beauty and a ‘must have’ for all retro mal enthusiasts. Tel: 07789663693 • Website: www.Lukeyoungshapes.co.uk

Surf Tech Model: The Tudor Papa Joe • Specifications: 9'6" x 23 ¼" x 3" • Shaper: Tom Eberly

High performance longboard for use in a range of conditions. Tom Eberly designed this board for Joel to use as a step-up from his 9'4" HPNR. Perfect for long, lined up point breaks.

And good enough for Joel Tudor means good enough for you! Tel: 01205 722745 • Website: www.SurfCom.co.uk

Bilbo Model: Bilbo Wave Wizard • Specifications: 9'1" x 23 1/8" x 3" With a wide and full outline, and with thin foiled rails that let the water hang on during nose rides, but are also thin enough to drive through turns. Width in the outline translates into stability for nose riding, and all that curve makes for ultra smooth turns. Designed with concave for nose riding, and a spiral vee through the fins for more manoeuvrability, this high performance board can be ridden either as a 2 + 1 or a single fin. Tel: 01637 879033 • Website: www.bilbosurfshop.co.uk

Bilbo Model: Bilbo Torpedo Mini-Mal • Specifications: 7'4" x 22" x 2 7/8"

A super fun board for advanced as well as entry level surfers. Nice rail-to-rail surfing and it flies through turns due to its multi concave bottom shape, which also gives it a stylish but traditional feel. Tel: 01637 879033 • Website: www.bilbosurfshop.co.uk

Morning of the Earth Model: Log (Traditional longboard) • Specifications: 9'5" X 23" X 3" Shaper: Simon Jones

A traditional longboard with a 17" tail and nose, and a low but constant rocker throughout the length of the board making it easier to take a late/steep drop. A pulled in nose to reduce catching and subtle 5ft nose concave that goes into a rolled V bottom, 50/50 rails and plenty of weight for that old time feel. Tel: 01736 757025 • Website: www.downthelinesurf.co.uk

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devon Gulf Stream The only award winning surfboard manufacturers in Devon. See the whole range and get custom boards made.

Web: www.gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk Email: info@gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk Address: 12 South Sreet, Woolacombe, North Devon EX34 7BB Tel: 01271 870831

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cornwall Down the Line Surf We stock a huge selection of surfboards made in and imported from Australia including surfboards by Dick Van Straalen (DVS), Jim Banks, Simon Anderson, Greg Webber, Chill, Murray Bourton, Firewire, plus Geoff McCoy, Morning of the Earth as well as many more surf boards you’ve come to know and love imported from Oz by Down The Line.

Web: www.downthelinesurf.co.uk Email: info@downthelinesurf.co.uk Address: Market Square Arcade, Copperhouse, Hayle, Cornwall TR27 4EA Tel: 01736 757025 bilbo Surf Shop Stocking one of THE largest ranges of surfboards in Europe, our friendly team have years of top level experience. Swing by for impartial advice, and a chat about your board requirements. Sold to surfers by surfers.

Web: www.bilbosurfshop.co.uk Tel: 01637 879033 Address: 6 Alma Place, Newquay, Cornwall TR7 1NF

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Tiki Surf Shop (Tiki International Plastics Ltd) We are proud to supply some of the world’s best surfboard brands – Webber, Walden, McTavish, Aloha, NSP, SouthPoint and more, 13 quality brands in total for every surfer and every price. Take a look around the site for the UK’s best range of surfing hardware.

Web: www.tikisurf.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1271 812442 Address: Velator Industrial Estate, Braunton, North Devon EX33 2DX

wales JP Surfboards Sometimes it isn’t easy to decide between one board and another, so to help you we’ve put together a selection of boards from each of our ranges that you can borrow to see how they feel, give us a call or drop us an email to check availability. There is a deposit required but we can talk about that when you get here.

Web: www.jpsurfboards.co.uk Email: JPsurfboards@btconnect.com Address: Unit 7a Crofty Industrial Estate, Penclawdd, Swansea SA4 3RS Tel: 01792 851 759 Ma simes surf hut Wales’ premier online surf shop with quality boards, wetsuits and hardware, fast efficient service, and solid advice. Call us – we answer the phone!

Web: www.masimes.co.uk Email: info@masimes.co.uk Address: 28 High Street, St. David’s, Pembrokeshire SA62 6SD Tel: 01437 720433

national Surftech demo centres Try and test our shapes before you buy. Test centres around the country.

Tel: 01205 722745 Web: www.surfcom.co.uk

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30 carve surfing magazine