Bonzer News

[GWS]

As we begin a new year I would like to express my profound thanks, as well as
an apology to all of you who have ordered boards and put up with the hassel of
getting one.

Honestly, I never intended it to be a Carlos Castaneda-Don Juan type of
adventure to accomplish the simple task of ordering and receiving a surfboard.
No excuesses. I just wasn’t ready for the response we have received. Plain and
simple, I have been a bit overwhelmed, and because I have to keep the day job,
it has been difficult to be as responsive as I should be.

During the first two months of this year we will be putting together a wide
array of plugs so we will be able to accommodate the range of custom shapes we
have been producing. Having a good portion of the boards milled by KKL will
allow me to get boards out much quicker, while maintaing the same quality and
individuality that is the heart of the Bonzer Project.

Secondly, we will be updating and expanding the website. As many of you have
noticed, it has been in a state of suspended animation for awhile. We just
haven’t had time to keep it up. We are going to make a strong effort to keep it
moving forward and keep things interesting.

In order to accomplish all of this and to catch up on my backlog of orders, I
am going to have to take a short break in accepting orders. With this in mind,
I have set March 15th to get started again. I am sorry for any inconvience, but
this is necessary for the long term survival and growth of the Bonzer Project.

Peace, Love, and Light,

Malcolm Campbell

 

[Waldo]

That's kinda awesome.
Thanks for the relay

 

[j]

Malcolm sounds like a really cool and interesting guy.

Be aware of the ides of March!

or

Be mindful or the ides of March.

or

Beware of the ideas of March.

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

[ January 30, 2004, 05:27 PM: Message edited by: j ]

 

[dk]

soothesayer!

 

[JJR]

Good thing I already got mine!!! And it works unreal, even in the small stuff! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="images/icons/cool.gif" />

 

[pickles]

I got to ride burnsey's 6'6" campbell bonzer when I was in pismo ... it was a really interesing and fun board. At first I wasn't sure that it was that "fast", but then I remembered I was at pismo and was actually making sections <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" /> I'd love to spend some time with one over here <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

Here's hoping Malcom can find a way to step up production.

 

[highline rider]

This seems cool cause you wont have to wait as long, but will you still be able to get a custom Campbell though with the signature on the stringer?

 

[GWS]

Of course. He will still be finishing each and every board personally. Putting the channels in, tuning the rails, marking the fin positions, etc. etc. Plus, depending on what you order, he’s not going to have a plug for everything. Some of the boards are always going to have to be hand shaped from scratch.

Campbell Brothers surfboards is really one guy. Malcolm. He takes every order, he talks to every single guy that places an order, he handles the money, shapes every board, arranges for the glassing of the board (Boards are sent out to a glass shop) and then meets the customer to deliver the board. That’s a LOT for one guy, with a family and a day job. I don’t know how he does it. Hopefully the KKL plugs saves him a lot of time.

Now, whether he is going to charge a price premium for boards he shapes from scratch vs. the ones he finish shapes post KKL, I don’t know. I’ll ask him.

 

[blakestah]

Some local shapers here report a board is a 1.5-2 hour affair, reduced to 20 minutes with a KKL machined blank to start with. The machine takes about 35% of the shaper's fee for 75% of the shaping labor.

Obviously, shapers like it on longer boards more - more labor reduction, same machine fee.

 

[need 4 speed]

I met Malcolm on the side of the road 3 or 4 weeks ago right before my trip to Tonga to pick up a semi-gun for the trip.He had just finished the interview with Flame (or someone) for the Surfers Journal.He had my board and a couple of others including Brad Gerlack's(they wanted a shot of a modern short board for the article) He apologised for the hassle about getting a board,but that he is just buried with work.I felt bad for him,when you order a board you only think about yourself .So I can see why he might need a little break from orders.

Blakestah I think the complexity of the Bonzer might take more than 20 min to do.

One last thing on fin size and position:
I rode my 6'8' swallow w/ the 6.5" fin in Tonga and it didn't work to well.Felt really loose and skatie.I put in the 7.0" fin and saw a dramatic change in drive but now back at home that fin makes the board feel a little stiff. I positioned the fin about 3/8's" foreward of the back edge of the side fin.Sould I switch back to 6.5" and move it further back in the box.I need some feed back

<img src="http://photos.surfline.com/albums/boards/quiver2.jpg" alt=" - " />

[ January 31, 2004, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: need 4 speed ]

 

[TRI FINS ARE DANGEROUS]

I mark fin positions with a pencil just in case I ever take the fin out. You can even write little notes next to the mark, "A-frame beachbreak, pointbreak, etc."

 

[GWS]

I ride mine about an 1/8” to a ¼” forward of the rear trailing edge of rear side fins. And I also make marks in the pigment around the fin box with a pen. I’d try the 6.5” inch fin further back. But everybody is different. Ride it however it works for you.

 

[dk]

tfad..... you know, thats a great idea!!!!

<img src="http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL343/1798975/3464965/44710739.jpg" alt=" - " />

 

[dk]

i still need to get me a bonzer sometime. but i dont think ill ever have 600$ of funds laying around, so ill probably make it.

 

[TRI FINS ARE DANGEROUS]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by dk:
<strong>tfad..... you know, thats a great idea!!!!

<img src="http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL343/1798975/3464965/44710739.jpg" alt=" - " /></strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah, like that movie Momento. You are a regular foot. First pants, then shoes. Never answer the phone.

 

[Waldo]

Guy at Blacks the other day had notes written all over his board. They were little one-line summaries of good session he'd had, like "6-8' Tamarack, sunny, offshore, and barrelling like Kirra" (OK, I made that up). He said whenever he was out on crummy days, he could look at the notes & think of the good days, and it would motivate him and make him happier. Kinda cool. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="images/icons/cool.gif" />

(apologies if the person described was one of the BB crew or a friend or relative - I lost track of who was who, especially after getting pounded out there and being a bit oxygen-deprived <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" /> )