IF YOU WANT QUALITY, YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!

Artisan Surf Designs
(Falkenau Surfboards & Fins)
(Custom Board Bags by Melissa)
2658 State Street
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(Located on the side of Legends Surf Shop)
info@artisansurfdesigns.com
619-757-0100



Welcome to Artisan Surf Designs

Welcome to my Blog. I created this blog to help fuel my creative hobbies by allowing my friends and viewing public to share in some of my surf designs, my passion for playing music, my art based creations, and updates on what is going on in my humble little world.

GOD, the GREAT SPIRIT, has blessed me with the passion to walk the path of an aspiring artisan and musician. I attribute everything I do to my savior, the good LORD Jesus Christ.

I live my mortal life while free-surfing; designing, refining, and shaping surfboards; designing and foiling fins; designing and framing hollow wood surfboards; making skateboard decks; wood-shedding, writing, recording, mixing, mastering, engineering, and performing my music (Fender Rhodes & Saloon Style Upright Piano, Fender Strat & Tele Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Drums, Bass, Harmonica, Percussion, Vocals, Harmonies); screen writing & writing poetry; compiling footage for my mini-dv and 16mm film music and surfing documentary; woodworking; designing and silver-smithing jewelry; trying hard to be a great husband to my beautiful wife, a devoted and loving father to our three beautiful blessings (Gavin, Bella, and Eden) and one big furry blessing (our dog Nick); and I am aspiring to be a master craftsman and Artisan, like my buddy Skip Frye, and many others (Bill Thrailkill, etc.) who have influenced my surfboard shaping. My ultimate goal in all of this is to find fulfillment in using my gifts to positively influence the lives of people like YOU.

I got into education eighteen years ago in 1995, when I began substitute teaching for the South Bend Community School Corporation, and later with School City of Mishawaka, both in Indiana. I began teaching full time fifteen years ago in 1998, after graduating from Indiana University. I've been employed full time at Harmon Hall Las Americas, Veracruz, Mexico (1 semester); Ross Beatty Jr./Sr. High School, Cassopolis, MI (2.5 years); Fallbrook High School, Fallbrook, CA (1 year); The Army and Navy Academy, Carlsbad, CA (10 years); and Penn High School (1 Year as DEAN OF STUDENTS in 2012-2013).

I got into the Fire Service in 2008 as a First Responder. In 2009, I earned my EMT-B certification through Miramar College, San Diego, CA. Along with being a Professional Educator and Dean of Students, I've been a Firefighter-EMT with Elfin Forest / Harmony Grove Fire Department and the San Diego County Fire Authority, Campo #46 (Cal Fire / SDCFA ACADEMY #14). I earned my DO1A at Miramar College, completed another 12 semester units at Alliant International University and earned another teaching credential - CTEL/TESOL/CLAD - which gives me 21 masters level credits as well. Currently, I am in Paramedic school at the Elkhart General Hospital Health Education Center in Goshen, IN. I am scheduled to graduate on April 12, 2014 with my NREMT-P. I am also earning my Master of Educational Leadership (Admin) through Western Governors University, Indiana.

A college professor and mentor once told me that I am a renaissance man. I liked the "ring" that had to it. So when people ask me what I do for a living, I like to tell them that I've been somewhat of a renaissance man for hire. Now it is time to focus on God, Family, and my job.

When my family lived in O-side, Jerry Ingham and I built a completely portable and removable 8' wide x 16' deep x 9' high surfboard shaping bay; a 16' wide x 16' deep x 9' high wood shop; and a 8' wide x 24' deep x 9' high work shop, complete with fans, filtered ventilation, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, all designed with safety in mind.

I moved Artisan Surf Designs to State Street, one door behind Legends SUP, in Carlsbad, CA., a space 10.5' x 22' x 9.5' high (owned by the waterman legend Bryan "The Lion" Smith, Jeff Warner of Warner Design Co., and Tom Tople of Legends SUP), to keep my hobby and passion for making surf-craft alive. Cal Schafer shapes his ZEN SURFBOARDS label out of the same bay - kinda like Skip Frye and Hank Warner used to do at Harry's in PB. Cal has mastered the art of shaping and is an amazing fin foiler as well.

I am always trying to work hard towards being environmentally conscious, while keeping the future generations of surfers in mind with everything that I design and build. Our ocean is more polluted and more crowded than it has been in any time in its history. It is our legacy to walk lightly on the path we choose to walk, and take with us whatever we began our journey with, leaving only footprints, and the knowledge we've learned for younger generations apply to their walk.

I DO NOT GLASS OR USE RESIN, EPOXY, OR ANY TOXIC CHEMICALS IN MY SHOP. I work mostly with wood, and if I'm not using U.S. Blanks, I try to use non-TDI surfboard blanks. I dispose of surfboard foam waste at local surfboard manufacturing facilities to assure that my waste is disposed of properly. I also use recycled wood and salvaged wood for my projects. So if you have any wood that you want to get rid of, let me know beforehand! IF MORE MANUFACTURERS OF SURF PRODUCTS WOULD DO THIS, SURFING WOULD HAVE A CLEANER IMAGE!!!!!!!

My overall focus with building surf-craft has always been to learn and master the art of shaping, while refining boards I've made and ridden, so that one day, I will have made that "magic" board -- the one that works exactly the way it was designed to work. I have finally reached the point of shaping 4 "magic" boards (based on feedback from riders and my own experience on two of them). I strive to one day shape fine custom surfboards like my friends Skip Frye, Bill Thrailkill, Josh Hall, and all my other friends, mentors, and influences whom I've had the honor of knowing throughout this journey; to build beautifully crafted hollow wood surfboards, like Paul Jensen, Danny Hess, and all of the wood board artisans on Swaylocks; to design, cut, and foil my own wood fins like Geppy, Hasselgrave, Cherry, McCormack, Marlin Bacon, and Daniel Partch; to design, cut, steam bend, and build skateboard decks to keep the look of the classics alive; all innovated with templates and foils designed with specific rigidity for speed, like Simmons and Thrailkill, or for flex, drive, hold, trim, and glide in various waves and conditions, Like Skip Frye. I also mill my own wood for custom nose and tail blocks, custom wood surfboard racks & board hangers. My wife sews fin covers, board socks, board bags, board straps, and carriers, all custom tailored to fit any surfboard or fin combination.

Feel free to pop in and visit me some time. I'm always up for a good conversation -- and be sure to check out LEGENDS , with the green awning.

If you like guitars, check out Epic Guitars. Kevin Kinear is an awesome person, amazing guitar player, and carries some of the most beautiful guitars that I've ever seen.

Please help support the hand-shaped surfboard market. We are a dying breed, because capitalist kooks with no talent or soul are creating slave labor at alarming rates, creating more boards than our ecosystem or line-ups will ever be able to handle out of more toxic materials and processes than ever before. THEY are the reason hand-shapers can't sell a damn custom hand-shaped surfboard that they poured their own sweat, heart, and soul into for what it's really worth... one board a day... one day at a time, like it used to be.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HAND-SHAPER!

-- Dave Falkenau, BS, NREMT-B, FF-EMT, DO1A, Teacher, Dean of Students



ORDER YOUR BOARD TODAY BY CALLING 619-757-0100!!!!!!!

Models I currently offer:

"Tadpole"
(This is the ultimate kid's board!)
sizes: 2'0" to 4'7" 4'8" 4'9" 4'10" 4'11" 5'0" 5'1" 5'2" 5'3" to 5'9"
Blank: U.S. Blanks 5'9"P
I originally shaped this model for my son, Gavin Cole Miller as a beginner board when he was 8 years old. ...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $450
on up

"Hagan Fish"
(This fish is unlike any other!)
sizes: 5'2" 5'3" 5'4" 5'5" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10"
This was an experimental fish designed in collaboration with one of my students, Delco Hagan. I made this one 21" wide, with a wider nose for easy paddling and wave entry, and pulled in the rear end to 9" butt crack between the two pins...moved the fins up and in...with rounded rails.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600
on up

"The Seed"
(This is the fastest fish I've ridden!)
sizes: 5'3" 5'4" 5'5" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11"
This is a streamlined high performance fish foiled to perfection originally for Raymond Turnipseed of Carlsbad / Oceanside, CA. This has a definite "MEZ" influence from Kauai. I actually used a 5'7" Richard Gomez knee-board / fish template for this board... I rode one of these (5'7") on a huge winter swell double to triple overhead, and went faster than any board I've ever ridden. It blew my mind.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600 on up

"Johnson Summer Hybrid Quad"
(NEW MODEL FOR SUMMER 2008!!!)
sizes: 5'4" 5'5" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0"
The Johnson Summer Hybrid Quad is a model I designed and shaped with John "Jodasch" Johnson. It is a Hybrid-Fish Swallow Tail Quad. John's is 5' 8" and has a modified fish template where the curve bends around to allow 8" between the pins, with a 2" deep swallow tail. It's 19 1/2" wide and 2 3/8" thick. The board is completely foiled out with streamlined rails and a nice single to double barrel concave flowing out through the fins and tail... Call me up if you want to order one for yourself. I can make 'em in any size and / or according to your favorite dimensions.
Designed as a Quad with Futures, but...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600 on up

"El Pescado"
(A fish with a classic feel!)
sizes: 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 6'1" 6'2"
This is a classic fish template foiled out and completely dialed for a variety of wave sizes and conditions in San Diego and North County.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600 on up

"Divine Design" Fish
(This board is amazing!)
sizes: 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 6'1" 6'2"
This is modeled and designed after my own 5'10" Skip Frye fish that Skip shaped me for one of my birthdays, which is foiled out and simply amazing... I made a template of it and started shaping them, as a cross between they way Skip made mine, and some tweaks that I put into it to compliment my own surfing style. It works best with twin keels or as a quad.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600 on up


"Destroyer Twin" / BT Arc Fish / Broom Fish / Grouper Fish
(This board goes like a scorched ape!)
sizes:
5'2"-8'4"
Blanks: U.S. Blanks 5'10" RP (with Classic Frye or Small Frye rocker); 6'2" A; 6'5" A; 6'8" RP
(with Classic Frye or Small Frye rocker); 6'10" A; 7'3" A; 7'5" A; 7'7" A; 7'9"H; 8'0"H; 8'1" EA; 8'2"A; 8'3"H; 8'4" SP (closest to the Clark 8'3"E)
This board was designed with the help of Bill Thrailkill of the "Surf Systems" fame. Bill is the originator of the "twin fin", the use of the "D" and reverse "D" fin, the "widow-maker", stabilizers, and corner fins. He was riding his "twin-symmetrically-foiled-fin" set-ups 2" off center back in the late 60's at Pipeline, before anyone else ever thought about anything but the single fin. He designed big wave boards that looked like large short boards, which could out-surf anything out there. His theory was that you can always slow a board down, but you can't get a slow board to go fast! He was built for speed, and his boards are the fastest in the water, even today. Typically the tails are 10" - 10.5" and set-up with the "twin" or "widow-maker" set up.
...available as a quad, twin or widow-maker, Fins Unlimited Boxes and Brewer or Thrailkill Fins ONLY!....$675 on up

"Newshape Quad"
(BT Arc Fish / Broom Fish / Grouper Fish)
It works best as a 5'10", 6'0", 6'8", or 6'9"
Blanks: 5'10RP with Classic Frye or Small Frye Rocker; 5'8"RP with Classic Frye or Small Frye Rocker; 8'4"SP (closest to the Clark 8'3"E that was originally used for the 6'0" and 6'9")
This board is very similar to the Thrailkill Twin or Destroyer Twin. However, it is set-up as a quad instead of a Thrailkill Twin. The 6'0" and 6'9" were made with both options (quad and twin boxes). This board has been ridden by Jeff Warner at Legends, Brad Whann, myself, and others. Jeff thought it was very fun and had a good "Frye-like" feel to it. Brad told me in his 30 years of surfing and tesing boards for Bill Johnson and others, that this board "magic". He had me shape him one, and has asked me if he can rep them for me. We have collectively decided that there is definitely something magic about this board. I shaped it out of a Clark Foam 8'3"E Eaton Blank to get the flattest rocker possible. It has a hulled nose, flat bottom, into some vee out the tail with Frye-roll on the bottom rails, and foiled from the top down to the apex of the rails. There is a lot going on in this board. The original Bill Thrailkill Newshape template is 6'0", and that is exactly what this board is... Bill helped me template this one. The Back fins are up 4 3/4" from the tail, in 1 7/8" from the rail at the trailing edge, and towed in 2 7/8" from the rail at the leading edge. The Front fins are up 10 1/8" from the tail, in 1 1/8" - 1 1/4" from the rail at the trailing edge and towed in 2 1/8" - 2 1/4" from the rail at the leading edge. I use Futures Vector II FSG1 415's in the front, and Futures Quad 340's in the back.... this is exactly how you'll get it... $675

"Aaron Pallasch Model"
(This is THE ANSWER to the modern shortboard!)
sizes: 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 6'1" 6'2" 6'3" 6'4" 6'5"
This is an amazing little ripper, originally designed with a little thicker body for taller or heavier surfers 145 lbs. on up who like a shorter board for heavy ripping, aerial maneuvers, and high performance pro-level surfing.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600

"Magic Sam" (not to be confused with the Nat Young Magic Sam...completely different)
(This is the ultimate "Big Guy" short board!)
sizes: 6'4" 6'5" 6'6" 6'7" 6'8" 6'9" 6'10" 6'11" 7'0"
At 20 1/2" Wide x 2 3/8" Thick, this baby can hold up to the heavies...double barrel...serious vee... killer!

...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600

"Fryed Fish" / Long Fish / Long Fish Simmons
(A "Long" Fish for the "Big" days!)
sizes: 6'5" 6'6" 6'7" 6'8" 6'9" 6'10" 6'11" 7'0" 7'1" 7'2" 7'3"
T
his board is another one of my attempts at trying to emulate the Master himself... it was modeled and designed after another one of my longer Skip Frye fish that Skip recently finished for a belated Christmas gift, which is foiled out and simply amazing... After studying Skip's and Josh's Long Fish Simmons and Josh's Fish Simmons Quads, I had to put my skills to the test and see if I could make one... don't want to disappoint the Skipper!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600


"Modified Displacement Hull"
sizes: 5'1" on up to whatever you want!
My hull journey started when I dropped everything I was doing in my shop, took a few months to do extensive research, and learned everything I could about the hull surfboard. I studied Diffenderfer's boards, e-mailed Greg Liddle, talked to George Greenough, read everything I could on the internet and Swaylocks, and studied boards that were considered "magic". This led to me shaping a 7'0" "Freak of Laminar Flow", which is now in the collection of Dan Salimone. I'm currently experimenting with these, even though we don't have ideal conditions in Carsbad for a board like this. You really need a nice clean wide open face for one of these. They are super fun and ride completely different from any other surfboard. You are really burying your entire rail and relying on your flex fin on your bottom turn, transitions back up into the face, and your backside turns. If you've read the Surfer's Journal Articles "Stubbies" or "Displacement" or have heard of Bob Simmons, George Greenough, Clark "Greg" Liddle, Ryan Gerard, Dan Salimone, Brian Hilbers, Kirk Putnam, Mark Andreini, Steve Krajkowski, Klaus, Kopps, Kit, McMalibu (sways), Queequeg (sways), Fineline Surfboards, or the Hull Tribe up North, they are the ones who started it all. They are the masters of the whole hull riding experience.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600-$850

"Classic 70's Diamond Tail Diff/Seed Model"
(Originally designed by Mike Diffenderfer for Raymond Turnipseed)
sizes:
6'4" 6'5" 6'6" 6'7" 6'8" 6'9" 6'10" 6'11" 7'0"
This is a classic 1970's wide point forward single-fin, diamond tail down railer, designed by master shaper Mike Diffenderfer for master surfer Raymond Turnipseed!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600


"PB Point Section Connector (mini)"
(This is my mini version of the ultimate all-in-one Point Model)
sizes: 6'10" 6'11" 7'0 7'1 7'2" 7'3" 7'4" 7'5" 7'6"
This board needs a pretty flat, Fryeish rocker to work right. I designed this after years of living in San Diego, surfing PB Point in San Diego County. I studied boards that Skip Frye made for the point as well as personal riders that Jade and Glen from Star Surf had in their personal collections. My mini point model is all of those boards I studied, wrapped up into one nice little package, ready to deliver a memorable session at any point or reef!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600


"Classic 70's Pin Tail"
(Originally designed by Mike Slingerland @ Surfboards Hawaii)
sizes: 7'0" 7'1" 7'2" 7'3" 7'4" 7'5" 7'6" 7'7" 7'8"
This is another 1970's wide point forward single-fin, pin tail down railer designed after my own personal Mike Slingerland Surfboards Hawaii... I can catch anything on this baby in waves of any size. Talk about a smooth ride... This is it!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600

"The Middle Man"
(This is my answer to the mid-length and hybrid surfboards out there... trust me, you'll want one!)
sizes: 7'7" 7'8" 7'9" 7'10" 7'11" 8'0" 8'1" 8'2" 8'3"
This is a mid-length board that can be shaped any way you like it.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600

"One Board Quiver"
This is shaped from a Bill Thrailkill Planshape and rocker Template.
Sizes: 7'10" - 8'10"
This
is your answer to the "quiver" question. This is the only board you'll need, for just about anywhere. This template and rocker are based on tested and proven boards that Bill Thrailkill made and has ridden, or has made for others who have ridden them in California, Hawaii, France, etc. It was carefully designed to handle the smallest waves up to about 20'.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $675

"Fish Simmons"
(I didn't design this board so I won't change the name
. It was designed by Skip Frye)
sizes: 8'8" 8'9" 8'10" 8'11" 9'0" 9'1" 9'2" 9'3" 9'4"
This is a really neat board if you've never tried one. Skip makes them down in PB and they are surfed at the point and at the cliffs mostly. My friend Josh Hall comes about as close to a Skip Frye Fish Simmons as a shaper can get. This is my attempt. It is made to be ridden as a 3 finned board, but...
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $675 - $850

"The Glide"
(This is a classic Double-Ender like a Skip Frye Double Eagle)
sizes: 8'10 8'11" 9'0" 9'1" 9'2" 9'3" 9'4" 9'5" 9'6"
The first one I shaped was a (2+1) FCS & Fins Unlimited / Bahne Box set up - Skip Frye Eagle Template with the center box 6 5/8" - 7" up from the pintail; Magic Pin Tail Template; Inspired by Skip Frye Eagle / Magic; Red White & Blue Resin Swirl; Glossed & Polished Finish; glassed on fin-panel Leash Loop... but I can make it any way you prefer!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons...
$675 - $850

"The Oceanslider"
(This baby was made for speed and glide... As we all know speed + glide = slide... and slidin' in trim in the upper 3rd of the wave is what she's all about!)
sizes: 8'10 8'11" 9'0" 9'1" 9'2" 9'3" 9'4" 9'5" 9'6"
This was originally shaped for Wayne as a Christmas gift from Dan at Hill Street Cafe, Oceanside, CA.
I shaped this one with hard down rails all the way around for speed. This one has little bit of roll in first 3rd, goes harder in the middle third, and the last 3rd is hardest, with the last 12" - 18" sharp as a straight razor. I love pintails, so I went with a pintail. This one will get an 8" box 7" up from the tail. However it works best as a Bill Thrailkill set-up with two 10" boxes sunk 2" off center.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons...
$675 - $850


"The Perch" / "Surf Perch"
(This is my nose rider... aptly named because you'll be perchin' all ten little toesies up on da nose!)
sizes: 9'7" 9'8" 9'9" 9'10" 9'11" 10'0" 10'1" 10'2" 10'3"
This log was designed specifically for nose riding in mind. It was originally designed for my great friend and fellow surf buddy, Tom Morgan of Atlantic Beach, FL. He's about 6'5", and needed a special board to get him to the nose, and this is what we came up with.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons...
$675 - $850


"Rhino Racer"
(Step into the realm of cross country surfing!)
sizes: 11'5" 11'6" 11'7" 11'8" 11'9" 11'10" 11'11" 12'0" 12'1"
This board has hard down rails for fast drops, driving down the line, and making all the connections, from the first wave on the outside, all the way to the beach!
...
available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $850

"Tyrannosaurus Tandem"
(Experience the ultimate in Tandem Surfing)
sizes: 12'2" 12'3" 12'4" 12'5" 12'6" 12'7" 12'8" 12'9" 12'10"
This board was made for Tandem Surfing in a variety of wave sizes. It has the rocker a pair of tandem surfers' need to make critical drops and keep the nose up in critical sections.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons...
$850

"Mommy's Little Monster"
(Ah... the modern OLO!)
sizes: 13'1" 13'2" 13'3" 13'4" 13'5" 13'6" 13'7" 13'8" 13'9"
This board is beautiful, with smooth lines, and the wide point in the aft section for easier maneuverability. Surprisingly, you can handle this board with relative ease. Catch waves from 6" to Sunset or Waimea on this baby!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons...$1,310 - $1,390

I can shape anything you have in mind, grom, short, fish, fun, egg, hull, long, nose-rider, log, glider, or all in-between, and cross-country boards as large as you can find a blank for!

I MAKE CUSTOM NOSE BLOCKS, TAIL BLOCKS, AND WOOD FINS TOO!!!!!

God Love The Fish!

The "FISH" design is by far my favorite. If you look back at what Steve Lis invented back in his kneeboarding days, you'd find that this design was before its time, especially after Jeff Chin took it out and stood up on it for the first time, drew his line high, and flew faster than his friends on the shore had ever seen. The Fish and Quad Fish are in a realm of their own. This is one of my specialties.

I have recently expanded my "Fish" template quiver toward the "Arc Tail" or "Broom Tail" or "10-10 1/2 inch" Square Tail Realm with the Thrailkill array of fin set-ups (Twin foils set 2" off center; Widow-makers; Edge Fins; Trailers; Stabilizers; etc.). I am putting 3 of them to the test up here in Carlsbad -- a 5'10"; a 6'0"; and a 6'9". So far, these things have exceded my highest expectations... they go like a scorched ape! I am calling this board the "Destroyer Twin" because it just destroys any other twin design out there as far as performance is concerned.

I have a surfboard history in my template collection dating from early Olo boards to the Duke Kahanamoku, Tom Blake, Bob Simmons, Phil Edwards, Dale Velzy, Dewey Weber, Greg and Jed Noll, Donald Takayama, Skip Frye, Sam Hawk, Jerry Ingham, Bobby Sakoda, Tommy Maus, George Greenough, Rich "Toby" Pavel, Richard "Dick" Brewer, Joel Tudor, David Nuuhiwa, Mike Diffenderfer, Topper Driggs, Ryan Gerard, Bob Pearson, Drew Marquis, Paul Jensen, Bill Thrailkill, Bing Copeland, Rich Harbour, Clubber, Surfboards Hawaii, Mike Slingerland, Surfboards Australia, Wayne Lynch, Hawaiian Style, Island Influence, Eddie Guitierrez, Richard Gomez, Eggs, Section Connectors, Fish, Quads, Twinzers, Speed Dialers, and the list goes on.

I throw a huge shaka of thanks and gratitude at all of the shapers who have influenced my shaping and my style. Without my former mentors and template originators, I would have been riding a much trickier and harder wave of R&D, than the one I have been gliding on developing my own shapes, designs, and templates. I cannot thank you guys enough -- Especially Skip Frye and Bill Thrailkill -- You have simplified my learning curve exponentially!

Aloha & Mahalo,

-- David Falkenau
, BS, NREMT-B

This is exactly what it costs ME to make YOU a custom hand-shaped surfboard...

YOUR COST BREAKDOWN - just so you know exactly what you are paying for:

My hand-shaped boards start at $475 and go up from there.

Hollow Wood Boards average $1200 - $3500

Keep in mind that most retail shops take a 25% minimum mark-up on the boards you are buying from them!

You automatically save 25% by ordering a board through me or any other local hand-shaper!

If you want me to shape you a board, this is how it works:

1) Look at the blank catalog and choose the blank you want me to make your board out of. Pick one that is as close to the final shape as possible, unless I have specified a specific blank for a specific shape or model.

2) Go buy the blank and bring it to me (or send me the money and I'll pick the blank up at Mitch's in Solana beach for an added fee of $10-$25 to cover my gas and my time).

3) Send me half of the total board price so I can get started on your board (I do 1/2 down deposit and 1/2 remaining balance upon pickup):

Legends Surf Shop

c/o David Falkenau, BS, NREMT-B, FF-EMT, Teacher

2658 State Street

Carlsbad, CA 92008

4) Tell me if you want a Traditional Polyester Resin Glass job by Luiz Masuzzo or Mauricio Avila or a Keahana Epoxy Resin Glass job (see the bottom of this section for Keahana's pricing).

5) I'll contact Luiz Masuzzo or Maurico Avila (my glassers) to confirm your price, and will get back to you to confirm... same process if it is done at Keahana... I will just have to confirm with Raul Espinosa, and then give you a call.

6) Once we (you and I) dial in all the details I will shape your board and send it off to the glasser.

7) When your board is complete, you can pick it up at my shop or at Legends, and you can pay me the remaining balance (1/2 of the total price). If your board requires shipping, you are responsible for any added costs that go into the packaging, insurance, shipping, and handling of your new board... your choice of carrier!


BLANKS:

I use U.S. Blanks exclusively!

Click here to see the catalog!

The Prices quoted are from Mitch's in Solana Beach!

Contact them for blank pricing:

Mitch's Solana Beach

363 North Hwy 101
Solana Beach, CA 92075
858-481-1354


SHAPING:

While considering my Shaping Fee, keep in mind, I put my heart, sweat, and soul into the shaping of your board. It is a passion and a love affair between my desire to design and build a work of functional art, my eyes, my planer, my hands, and the blank. I am a proponent of the Great American Dream... so help keep this dream alive and please don't ask me for a "Bro-deal".

$190-$266... 0’0” up to 6’11”

$267-$342... 7’0” up to 8’11”

$343-$380... 9’0” up to 9’11”

$381-$418... 10’0” up to 10’11”

$418-456... 11’0” up to 11’11”

$457-$494... 12’0” up to 12’11”

$495-$532... 13’0” up to 13’11”

Glassing:

Up to 6’11”………………………………………$200

7’0” to 7’11”……………………………………$225

8’0” to 8’11”……………………………………$250

9’0” to 9’11”……………………………………$275

10’0” to 10’11”…………………………………$300

11’0” to 11’11”…………………………………$325

12’0” to 12’11”…………………………………$350

13’0” to 13’11”…………………………………$375

Base Glassing Price (above) Includes:

1) Lamination with “E” or “D” cloth (1 layer 4 or 6 oz. bottom and 2 layer 4 or 6 oz. deck

2) Logos

3) Hot Coat

4) Sanded Hot Coat Finish

5) Leash Plug; or Leash Loop; or ½ Moon Cut Fin Panel Glass-on Leash Attachment

6) Fin Systems: FCS (fins included) $20 add on cost for BASIC stock fins

Future Fins (fins included) $20 add on cost for BASIC stock fins

Lok Box (fins included) $20 add on cost for BASIC stock fins

$10-$25 added Cost for 8” Single Box; 10.5” box or Stinger Box!

2+1 Combo (add $25)

Quads (add $40)

C5 (add $40 - $50 depending on brand and set-up)

Glass-ons ($10 - $50)

*Carbon Fiber Fins, Fiberglass fins, Longboard Center Fins and Special Order Fins are an extra cost per quote.

Glassing Alternative Options:

7.5 oz. – 10 oz. Volan (add $30 per side)

“S” cloth ($5 per yard) or ($15 per layer under 7’ and $25 per layer over 7’)

Fee for Glassing Channels and difficult contours (add $25 each)

Epoxy is additional (based on board length and epoxy brand)

Color Options:

Airbrush ($20 minimum, contingent upon specific work, priced per quote)

Tints & Pigments:

$35 for basic coloring per side up to 7’11” and $60 for 8’0” +

$45 for abstracts / acid splash / swirls per side up to 7’11” and $65 for 8’0” +

Inlay color on deck or bottom ($30)

Pin Lines ($25 on up depending on amount detail)

Finish Options:

Acrylic Finish ($10)

Polished Acrylic ($25)

Sanded Gloss

$35 - $45 under 8’0”

$50 over 8’0”

Gloss & Polish

$45 - $55 for boards under 8’0”

$60 for boards 8’0” up to 10’0”

ADD $5 per 6” over 10’

California Residents add 7.75% sales tax to your overall board cost! I shape under Warner Enterprises / Legends Surf Shop's license.

As of October 2009, my polyester boards are glassed by Luis Masuzzo at M&M, in Oceanside!!!!!!!

I also use KEAHANA Triaxial EPS Epoxy Systems if you want EPOXY:

- Shortboard Epoxy Glass Job... $300

(Keahana Blank & Glass Job...$375)

- Fun boards and boards up to 8'0"... $375

(Keahana Blank & Glass Job...$475)

- Longboards and boards up to 10'0"... $450

(Keahana Blank & Glass Job...$575)

All Keahana boards are priced with hot coat and gloss.


Friday, August 17, 2007

More props for the Skipper...





Skip Frye


Excellent Stick

Skip Frye Eagle
Length 10'0"

Width 22 ½ "
Thickness 3"
Nose 16 ¼
Tail 14"

5 Stringer
Serial #1397
made on 7.29.96




Skip Frye describes his experience with Velzy's V-fin

It's hard to find a better surfer, shaper and test pilot than Skip Frye. Skip had this to say about the Velzy V-fin when noseriding.com caught up with him a couple of years back..

"The planeing was great, it just made the board plane so great. Absolutely great! Not too high and not too low, just right. And the board noserides perfect with this fin! And the turns, were like, whooop (radical hand motion), it just spun on a dime! It's fantastic (hand motion again), just whooop!

Frye said, "I hate to admit that I had this fin for nine years, just sitting in the shop after Velzy gave it to me. I rode it at Rincon when he first gave it to me, and it worked good. But I got side-tracked by life. Then one day recently, I put it on a board again. The board was good, but now the board was whoooaa, good!! I couldn't believe it. I had so much fun with the board, surfing it every day in all kinds of conditions. I surfed it for 30 straight days; and I never do that.

"I have over 30 boards, and I ride a different one almost every day. But Velzy's V-fin made the board so good I had to try it in every possible condition. I'm as high on it as anything I'm doing fin wise. I did a cutback that was one of the best I've ever done. I put it on one of my favorite egg boards, and two of my other boards, and they're the best they've ever ridden. I can't say enough good about this fin. Super noseriding, super turning, it's got it all." --Skip Frye

Historical Note

As surfing history shows, stupidity is to be expected. Skip said it took 10 years, just for the single fin to be accepted on a surfboard. Tom Wegener says he and his brother rode twin-fin boards 10 years in the South Bay before they ever caught on anywhere else. That was because someone won a contest in Hawaii on them. (Think how many contests could have been won before that.) Myself, I turned my nose up, at Velzy's V-fin, even after talking to good surfers I knew that had ridden them and loved them. Si, another arrogant Stupido! When I put one on my board I got the same "bam," right now, turns and noseriding to perfection, that Velzy promised. If you can surf, you'll kick yourself for not getting one sooner. I promise. -- Bob Howard.


Year Built:
Dimensions: 5'8
Shaper:
Skip Frye
Manufacturer: Skip Frye
Location: California

Here's an old Skip Frye Fish which is collecting dust in a garage. Red bottom, clear top. His trademark hand drawn pencil logo is on the bottom as on all his boards. It has kind of a beaked nose.

Ink logos on top



You can see the fin patch and how straight the fins are. No toe in. No cant out. Real flat with a slight belly to vee. Rocker 3 1/2" nose and 1 3/8" tail



This one shows the rail. Kind of turned down, round and eggy all the way to the rear. Not much hard edge like contemporary boards.


Fish Fry Heats Up

Third annual affair was the original idea of Bird Huffman, Joe Roper and Richard Kenvin
by
Alex Wilson
Surfermag.com correspondent

Reno Abellira and Skip Frye inspecting Frye Fish during the 2003 Fish Fry.
RK

In this day and age of nearly shameless retro exploitation and imitation, the Fish Fry, a gathering of Fish fans set for May 1st at the North Jetty in Oceanside, Calif., would appear to be just another excuse for followers of the current trend to get together, cruise some fatter-than-average foam, and talk about how groovy their new psychedelically splashed ride really is. And it probably would be, were it in the hands of someone less responsible and less in touch with legitimate surf roots than the man at the helm, Sean Mattison.

A sales manager and top board expert for Surfride in Oceanside, Mattison sits on the shop’s floor surrounded by what he calls “The Fish Market,” a dazzling array of beautifully colored swallow-tailed glass. Once described by the legendary Michael Hynson as “the kind of guy who is on top of the pulse to the point where he might even be making it,” Mattison certainly has a sensitivity for surfing’s cutting edge, and without a doubt possesses the credentials and credibility necessary to soulfully pull off something like this.

From his cross-legged perch, he explains why “The Fry” will be more than just a congregation of trendy kooks. “We’re going to actually get the shapers together with some people who ride the boards and really appreciate them,” he says, “to sort of check things out and discuss design. I mean, the Fish is such a San Diego hallmark, I figured it would be rad to come together to share something that is both so old and so new. We want it to be like a hot-rod show. You’ll bring out your Fish, show it off, we’ll hang on the beach, and then we’ll put the boards out there on the test track to see who can do the fastest half-mile,” he says with a laugh. “It’s not for monetary purposes or anything like that. It’s grassroots, and it’s about having fun. We want nothing but a good vibe down there so we can show appreciation for the shape and bring attention to the guys who really know how to build them.”

And while gabbing with the likes of Fish shapers Rich Pavel and Mike Hynson, who both plan on attending, is certainly a draw, what may be most exciting about the event is the opportunity it affords the public to check out what exactly the equipment is capable of. Recent video and images of Mattison and his cadre of Oceanside “Fishermen” reveal absolutely stunning progressive surfing on a shape that is constantly evolving in step with the flow of the sport. A demonstration by the crew at the Fish Fry could serve to strengthen the legitimacy of the retro boom, and may also force some jaded critics to reevaluate their perceptions of the movement and its current contributions to surfing’s state of the art.

“Hopefully all the grumpy guys are off selling bait somewhere,” says Mattison lightheartedly. “This is more about bridging the gaps between old and new, and we’re just gonna have some fun.” Clearly not out to make a statement, the culturally in-tune beach BBQ that Mattison has proposed may do just that. An event that connects legitimate figures from the Fish world with fans of the shape, and offers a forum to showcase the equipment’s potential, may offer a touch of substance to a trend that many feel is drifting toward fashion rather than function.



Skip Frye (September 7, 1941-)


The famous Ron Stoner photo of a guy knee-paddling into perfect empty surf at The Ranch is captivating. It evokes two of our sport's most treasured emotions: passion and flow. The lone surfer could have been anyone, but as it turns out, he became the embodiment of both. More than four decades into his surfing experience, Skip Frye's passion and flow have never been stronger.

Hailing from an adoptive home in San Diego, Harold Richard Frye came into surfing relatively late, almost missing what he considers to be "The Golden Age of the Sport." When his father went off to fight in World War II, the infant was the only male left in the house. "I was like the skipper of the ship," he says, "which is how I got my name." At Mission Bay High School, Frye was too small for most sports, but reveled in distance running. The endurance aspect would serve him well when surfing entered his life in 1958. A club known as The Kanakas ruled over Pacific Beach, welcoming Frye into the tribe. "Everyone says the '60s was the time, but I wish I'd been around a few years earlier," he laments, "so I could have experienced the balsa era. The purity of the sport was still unencumbered, and that was when they first got on the nose and started to turn."

Competition was gathering momentum as surfing's popularity exploded during the early '60s, and it didn't take long for Frye, by then a member of the legendary Windansea Surf Club and team rider for Dewey Weber Surfboards, to navigate the ranks. His first big win came in the 1963 Aquaram event in Pacific Beach, where he defeated fellow Windansea teammate Butch Van Artsdalen in a surf-off. Frye retained his title the following year and reached a pinnacle in 1968, winning the U.S. Invitational at Oceanside. He also represented the United States in the World Contest in 1966 and 1968, narrowly missing the final on each occasion. The venue for 1968 was Puerto Rico, which instantly became his favorite surf destination, thanks to its warm, idyllic surf and Latino flavor. A photo of him from the trip appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, standing with his board behind a swimsuit model.

Frye began shaping in 1963, at which time, he became enamored with the subtleties of fins. "I'm freaky on fins," he comments today. "They can make a regular board a good board." He was among the first to reduce fin size from the deadly early rudders as well as experiment with flex. He and other Californians felt their equipment -- as well as their surfing -- was progressing wonderfully, that is until they went to Australia. "We went to Oz in 1968 and watched 8mm films of George Greenough and were like, 'Whoa!' We had to hold onto our seats. We were so hung up on the nose, and our boards sucked! We got all fired up and came back."

As longboards vanished overnight, Frye went with the flow, working on egg shapes and later experimenting with the Fish. Aside from a stage he refers to as his "ghetto period" after his first wife left (he lived in his shaping room for a stint), he has maintained his zest for the sport. However, he was never more energized than during the longboard revival. "The biggest buzz I ever had in surfing was the early '90s when I went back to the big ones," he recalls. "I mean the 11-footers. The same thing happened to Duke [Kahanamoku] when Tom Blake reintroduced him to the 16-foot olos back in the '30s. I was riding through one break, through the channel and into the next break." Surfing from one spot to another is nothing new to Frye. He routinely surfs at least seven breaks in a session at the reefs along Sunset Cliffs. During the surf-drenched winter of 2000, he broke a personal record by riding 12 spots in a single go-out, a healthy feat for anyone, much less a great-grandfather. A rabid Laker fan and devout Christian, Frye spends every spare moment helping his wife Donna in her unending environmental mission and upcoming bid for city council. He treasures his extensive board collection and the stories each board tells. "I feel it's my duty to pass along the heritage of our sport," he says with a passion. "But there's still a long way to go, a lot of work to be done, especially with fins." -- Jason Borte, March 2001







SKIP FRYE, Skip
Overcoming the odds after a car accident crushed one of his knees, Skip was dedicated not to give up surfing but to become a surfing champion. And in 1963, two years after the accident he won the Pacific Beach, California Contest, and again in 1964.
"Influenced by the great surfers of his time, Skip's style is smooth and flowing yet aggressive. It is fluid yet changing"





At home on a Frye board

STAFF WRITER

March 15, 2005

The first time I saw Harold Reid in the water, he looked like a surfing Sasquatch: extra-large, lots of hair and the wary eyes of a predator.

But that first impression was wholly erased after we began talking about his sleek Skip Frye longboard.


FRED GREAVES
Harold Reid shows off his Skip Frye surfboard collection. The two attended middle school and high school together.
He spoke in almost poetic tones about the beauty of Frye's longboards, their hydrodynamic profile and almost magical speed as they squirted across the face of a wave.

There's a reason Reid is somewhat of an expert on the topic. Over the years, he's acquired (and still owns) 13 Skip Frye longboards.

Together, his quiver of Frye boards is like a novel, each one a chapter in the story of Reid's rebirth as a middle-aged surfer.

Reid began surfing 50 years ago in 1955.

He learned on a 14-foot redwood and balsa plank he shared with Bobby Hein, son of pioneer San Diego surfer William Frederick "Hadjie" Hein, now 86. Sharing boards was common back then, especially for 10-year-olds, because it took the strength of two kids to carry the 100-pound-plus boards to the beach. Reid and Skip Frye were classmates at Pacific Beach Middle School and Mission Bay High.

"It was around 1957 that Skip came down to the beach and got into the water. And he's never gotten out," said Reid.

In 1962 Reid, Frye and a few dozen other hot-dogging San Diego-area surfers became charter members of the WindanSea Surf Club. Reid was aboard the infamous bus ride from La Jolla to Malibu, a drunken bacchanal in which the WindanSea crew established its reputation as hard-core surfers and party monkeys.

Reid eventually became an electrician and started his own contracting business, which he still runs today with 10 employees.

Between his raucous 30s and settle-down 40s, he drifted away from surfing. He was bogged down by unhealthy habits, including too much drinking. When he embraced sobriety in 1984, things began to change for the better.

Harold's wife of 32 years, Terri, was instrumental in getting him back in the water when she commissioned Frye to shape her spouse a new longboard. It served as a revitalizing tonic. In 1989, at the age of 44, Reid reclaimed his youthful passion for surfing.

"Since then, I've tried to surf every day," said Reid.

Each of his Frye surfboards is different. The largest is 12-foot-3 with a deep blue deck the color of the the ocean as viewed by astronauts in space.

Harold refers to it as "Big Mo" because it was shaped for him on Memorial Day. Big Mo is the board Reid prefers to surf in the summer, when the water is warm and the waves are small. Another board was given to him by Frye on his wedding anniversary. As for the one that hangs on the wall of his office, Reid won that one in a drawing.

Reid has never told Frye what dimensions he prefers for his longboards. He simply lets the master shaper produce whatever Frye thinks will work or be fun in the water.

"Skip takes care of it all," said Reid. "Once, he made me a square tail because he said everyone should have a square tail in his quiver."

Frye makes several different styles of surfboards, including his Model K. Fish-Simmons, Fryed Egg and Eagle.

"They are very comfortable boards," said Reid. "They go fast and they paddle really well. My 12-foot Eagle is the best ultra-longboard there is. It's the Cadillac."

Reid said he's careful not to exploit his friendship with Frye. He doesn't constantly pester his old friend to shape him a new board, especially these days. Frye is in the midst of a creative burst in which he's experimenting with different shorter boards called "fish." They're a unique short board style that is short and thick.

Reid has longboard blank waiting in the wings in the event that Frye gets a hankering to mow some heavy foam.

"If he wants to do it, he'll tell me to bring it over," said Reid. "I'm not going to bother him."

Out in the water, people notice the boards Reid rides because, even at age 60, he surfs aggressively and with confidence.

Reid said he tries to emulate Skip Frye's surfing style: long rides punctuated by graceful footwork back and forth along the deck.

"He's like the glide of the pelican. He's part of the wave and takes whatever the wave has to offer," said Reid.

Recently, he's become more active as a contest surfer. He competes in the 60-and-over "legends" category at club contests. His competition includes such masters as John Peck, L.J. Richard and Bobby Challenger.

An old friend, Dale Dobson, has been coaching Reid, helping him improve his style and try more daring maneuvers.

"I'd like to see if I could get a little better," said Reid, who is a grandfather.

He estimates that he surfs 320 days a year, mostly in the early morning hours at Cardiff Reef.

"You miss a day or two and you start to go crazy," he said.

<SKIP FRYE>

スキップフライ

GEPHART FISH FINS!!!

If the droves of eagle-beaked 7-2 Sunset single-fins inching through chest-high Malibu are any indicator, we can conclude that staunch traditionalism has an on-again, off-again relationship with functionality. But when the two set aside their differences and decide to marry, only magic can happen. Marine-ply fins are a gorgeous example of this phenomenon. As the craftsmanship in producing a speed-oriented, structurally-sound wood fin flourishes, so too does the aesthetic beauty of the fin. What’s more, set against all the tinkerings of the last 50 years – from carbon-fiber to plastic – marine-ply Baltic Birch wood is a fine choice for fin material. Used widely for skateboards, it is the softest of the hardwoods, making it strong yet exceptionally light-weight and flexible. Most importantly, unlike a hunk of fiberglass and resin, a marine-ply fin floats. A positive buoyancy characteristic, combined with a negligible weight-factor, increases nose-to-tail balance, producing a noticeable a loss of drag. For your meddlings in the intersection of style and substance, True Ames now offers the handiwork of Larry Gephart, San Diego’s finman of mystery. Two templates, each one a double foiled traditional fisherman’s floating scrimshaw.

True Ames Fins

SKIP FRYE - NEW FLEX FINS

Skip Frye confesses, "I'm freaky about fins." Captivated by the knee-based carves of Greenough, the San Diego surfer/shaper was among the first so-Cal heads to experiment with reduced fin areas and expecially flex. The Skip Frye Flex offers more area than the L-Flex, providing slightly better hold, but it has a less extreme rake than the Norm Flex, allowing for a smaller turning radius. This fin suits a variety of midlength eggs and can be a healthy experiment for the right longboard.

True Ames Fins

Click to see a mint condition:

1) Skip Frye MAGIC 7'8"

7'8.5" x 22" x 3"

2 ) G & S Skip Frye EGG 7'6"

from 1976

7'6" x 22.25" x 2.8125"

3) Skip Frye EAGLE 10'7" - Teal

4) Skip Frye EAGLE 10'7" - Red


5) FRYE FISH 6'1"