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Somewhere on my phone. Will have to track them down.Do you have more pics of it
Love the color of that AO!
Jade green and the rails was suppose to be black but with the s glass and epoxy turned out what I call purple haze which I liked even moreLove the color of that AO!
I see your point. For me, it's partly trying new things to gain any advantage to counter diminishing skills of age. Realization that I'll never surf as good as I did when I was 25-35 got me off riding a squash thruster in all conditions and looking for boards with more speed + maneuverability. Once you start experimenting, there's so many options and rabbitholes to go down. That said, most of my boards are 5'6-5'10, fish or variations on the shorter, wider, fishier alt boards, so it's not a big jump from one to the next. I usually only ride 2-3 boards for a few weeks at a time. Surf doesn't get good/epic here often, but it's consistent in that there's almost always waves to surf thigh- to chest-high. The other part of it is boredom: I have very little actual time in the water, but way more time on a computer everyday that I can take a few min here and there looking for Craigslist boards I might like to try. Bit of a scavenger hunt for a hidden gem. I figure it's a diversion and it's better than gambling or something.I might (and intend to) come across as a hater, but I would guess there is an inverse relationship between number of boards and surfing skill. Chronic beginners are hoarding boards trying to find something that will make them surf better and look cool. "Alternative shapes" are great for this, since they can carry some veneer of credibility while still being the required 50L volume.
this is totally my program my untreated Craigslist browsing has found my buddies several magic boards too@waxurDyl With all those sick boards, when would you reach for the jjf softtops??
I have very little actual time in the water, but way more time on a computer everyday that I can take a few min here and there looking for Craigslist boards I might like to try. Bit of a scavenger hunt for a hidden gem. I figure it's a diversion and it's better than gambling or something.
Nice graphic design on the McNeillI would if I had one, but only have 3 boards, one of which I got second hand last night and not ridden yet. I'm reshuffling, but funds are scarce at the moment.
This was taken last year this time. Of the boards pictured, only the Gary McNeill is still in the rack and will stay there forever.
Probably should have kept the Gremlin and the Phantom - they were keepers, but I wanted to experiment with "more foam" like everyone else recommended, but I don't notice the extra 1.5L I went up in their successors. They were sold so that I had funds to experiment with buying / selling a few since.
The two Dylan boards on the right I just simply didn't get on with. he's a great shaper and person, but something just didn't click, so I gave up on them.
L-R
5.7, 5.8, 5.10, 6, 6.4
View attachment 107540
Probably true. I am no ripper. have 14-16 boards. Surf the same 6 98% of the time.I might (and intend to) come across as a hater, but I would guess there is an inverse relationship between number of boards and surfing skill. Chronic beginners are hoarding boards trying to find something that will make them surf better and look cool. "Alternative shapes" are great for this, since they can carry some veneer of credibility while still being the required 50L volume.
Pyzel The Knost collab board?! Does it have bonzer fins?
Not the case with me. Just never seem to part with the old ones. Even have board #1 that I bought in 1982.I might (and intend to) come across as a hater, but I would guess there is an inverse relationship between number of boards and surfing skill. Chronic beginners are hoarding boards trying to find something that will make them surf better and look cool. "Alternative shapes" are great for this, since they can carry some veneer of credibility while still being the required 50L volume.
Seek help, there is no chance you ride 95% of those boards on a regular basis. Soft tops in every sizeThis is just half of what I’m holding, but these are some of the quiver shots I’ve put together. Not nearly enough time and space to do a complete quiver shot. But what I REALLY need to do is get an updated shot of my Burch quiver, there’s 12 total now.
Anyway...here’s my Mandala quiver:
Sign me up for the mailman program. I'm in!To sort of echo what @oeste858 said, these days I only ride good wave thrusters when the conditions allow or if I’m on a trip where waves call for it. So that means a couple months in the winter and summer when W/WNW and south swells are ideal for southern CA. All other times I mostly ride alternative(hipster, if you want) small wave boards. I like new feelings and keeping things fresh. I know I’m not going to surf like I did 20yrs ago.
I usually ride 10-15 different boards at a time and sell ones I don’t jive with. Some have sentimental value that I won’t let go of. For example the blue Tyler pig was a surprise bday gift from wife and Tyler, who is a friend. I’ve ridden it maybe a dozen times but haven’t in over 5-6 years. If I don’t jive with a board I definitely will move it. Some rather quickly or some after a few years when I realize it’s been sitting a bit
I’m a mailman and have LOTS of time to myself on my route. So I’m constantly thinking about the surf and surfboards and what I want to order. I’m a collector...It was sports cards as a kid, Nikes as a young adult and now it’s surfboards.
I’ve only ridden the gold 6’4 Dark Arts Aipa 2x since I got it. But both sessions were real fun in small 3-4ft surf. It surfs good...good enough for me to keep even though I haven’t needed a 6’4 in over 2 months. I probably won’t ride it again until we get a solid south swell during summer. If not, then I’ll likely need it at my local SoBay winter PV spots at the end of the year. All that to say I haven’t properly tested it, and it may sit for months at a time but the initial surfs on it were good enough to keep it.
And to answer @oeste858 - the soft tops will be ridden very sparingly by me, probably when the waves are barely surfable and crowded in the summer. But I got them so kids, family and friends who seldom surf can use them instead of asking to use my real boards. Sort of like my own fleet of free rentals, lol!
Here’s a few shots from the Aipa sesh and on a Burch “alternative shape” that I felt fresh/new sensations on. I could’ve rode a normal thruster during those sessions but I’ve already been there and done tons of times when I was younger.
View attachment 107580View attachment 107576View attachment 107577View attachment 107579
My wife has her hobbies and I have mine. Having no kids and no debt other than a mortgage allows us to participate in our respective hobbies the way we do. She’s part native Hawaiian and a Kamehameha schools grad, she says surfing is part of her culture and lets me do as I please when it comes to my hobby. And for that I’m grateful, lol
After thinking about all the boards I have, those quiver shots I posted are actually not half but probably 75% of my boards
Sorry for the wayward rant, just some thoughts and explanations that came to me during my lunch break delivering mail