Artisan Surf Designs by David Falkenau, BS, NREMT-B, FF-EMT

I am happy to announce that I am back in the shaping bay, and open for business again!

2011-12-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

As I stated in my last post, I stopped taking orders A while back to pursue earning my badge at Elfin Forest Harmony Grove Fire Department, and last night, it was official. I've earned my badge, and am working on Getting as much FF experience as possible, and earning the opportunity to drive and operate our fire apparatus at EFF.

I am back in the shop shaping boards and foiling fins. Call and place an order today!

Sincerely,

Dave Falkenau
Owner, Artisan Surf Designs: Falkenau Surfboards & Fins

Important Annoucement:

2010-07-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.eff-fire.org
I was picked up by Elfin Forest / Harmony Grove Fire Dept. on Saturday as a PFF-EMT, working Sunday shifts, training at least 4 days per month, and on-call for Fire-EMS. Therefore, I will be putting my shaping and fin foiling on hold until further notice. Right now, my buddy Cal is shaping his Zen Surfboards label out of my shop and bay, allowing me to keep the space and keep the rent paid. Have fun, and if you want to place an order for a later date, perhaps we can talk... until then, via con dios!

Camp Pendleton Rappelling Tower EMT Duty, Sunday, April 18th, 2010

2010-05-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here I am spotting Chris Mui, and coaching him on how to belay for another cadet at the OCC course.

Demo...

2010-04-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Good times!

An Old Epiphany On A New Day

2010-03-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

I was on a streak, surfing at least one session every day for four months, and then my Grandfather-in-law had a bad fall and I went over with my wife to help him out. That day broke my streak, and then I was only surfing sporadically after that whenever I could find the time.... then for the past two months, I was completely DRY... No surfing for me, because I was rereading all of my EMT-B material to prepare for the National Registry (NREMT-B). After taking the exam, I realized that I was stressing over nothing. I blazed through that exam and passed it after only 70 questions. Out of 134 questions, I got up to number 70 and the test shut off, said "You have completed the National Registry EMT-B Exam" or something close to that, and just shut off. I felt really good about it, and two days later, I received my confirmation e-mail that I PASSED. Within 3 days, I received my NREMT-B card, Certificate, and Patch in the mail. I immediately began studying my course materials for the Paramedic class I am in, and that's what I have been so busy with lately.

I have been working 5 jobs (Teaching full time; working as an EMT at the Academy; Working 2-3 nights per week in the Dell/Mac Lab at school; Administering the SAT and ACT whenever it is on my campus; and just barely keeping my surfboard gig going). Add in these classes that I've been taking, and I just came to a realization a couple of days ago, that I need to get back into the water to clear my head. I literally got off work three days ago (Monday), went home, ran 3 miles, grabbed the brand new 5'10" that I shaped and Keahana glassed, paddled out, stood up on my first wave, flew down the line, and just let out a HUGE YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That one wave was all I needed to get myself back on track. I kinda forgot how great surfing is for the mind and body and soul. I missed Tuesday because I drove up to Fallbrook for my mother-in-law's birthday, but made it out again yesterday. I'm getting ready to go paddle out right now... as for the epiphany.... This has happened sooooo many times in my life, where I get so caught up with work and life, and SURFING is the one thing that brings me right back to my balance point.

My lesson? NEVER STOP SURFING.

Hey gang! I just wanted to share some cool news... I was just featured on Keahana's Blog because they were impressed with my attention to detail, and my avant garde approach to modern surfboard design...

2010-02-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

Hi David,

My name is Jim, I do the blog posting for KEAHANA.
Raul and I noticed you have a fine attention to detail and thought we might feature your shapes on our blog:

http://keahanausa.blogspot.com/2010/02/from-carlsbad-with-love.html
Strong work man!

Hope you got some waves today.
Thank you,
Jim Noonanhttp://keahanausa.blogspot.com/2010/02/from-carlsbad-with-love.html

I just finished a 5'11" Swallow Tail Shorty for my brother-in-law Myles Pallasch! Pics soon! Here are the design dimensions...

2009-11-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

Here's my Myles Pallasch Model:

5'11" x 18 x 2 3/8" Deck to bottom rail before concaves (or 2 1/8" with calipers deck to bottom concave) at widepoint

Here's how you can lay out your template if you want to try to shape one yourself...

N1 = 11 1/8" Wide

N2 = 16 1/8" Wide

Center at 35.5" = 17 7/8" - 17 15/16" Wide

Wide Point is 18" and runs from the Nose back 37 3/4" to 40 1/8"

T2 = 17.5"

T1 = 14"

The Swallow Tail is 4.5" across, pin to pin, or corner to corner before you cut the swallow in. The swallow can be 1 1/8" to 2 1/8" deep... or traditionally, it would be half the width of the tail (2 1/4" deep).

The board thickness before concaves are shaped in is 2 3/8" @ the center through wide point area, from Deck to bottom... after concaves are shaped in, a caliper reading will read 2 1/8" (because you are essentially putting 1/4" of single concave in the center portion of the board.

Rocker: using a straight edge with the fulcrum point in the center of the board (35.5" from the nose), measure the distance from the bottom edge of the nose to the straight edge. Do the same for the tail....

Nose rocker: 4.5"

Tail rocker: 2 1/4"

Bottom Contours: Single Concave with Double Barrel Concave running throughout...

N1 has 1/16" of Single Concave (the Double Barrel doesn't start until 1/3rd back from the nose)

N2 has 1/8" of Single Concave and 1/16" of Double Barrel Concave

Center (35/5") through the Widepoint (from the nose back 37 3/4" to 40 1/8") has 3/16"-1/4" of Single Concave and 1/16" of Double Barrel Concave

T2 has 3/16" - 1/4" of Single Concave and 1/8" of Double Barrel Concave

T1 has 3/16" - 1/4" of Single Concave and 3/16" - 1/4" of Double Barrel Concave

The tail 1/3rd keeps a hard edge, going sharp from the tail up to blending with the rail tuck at the 1/3rd up from the tail mark...
(The Board length is 71", so 1/3rd of that is 23.666666666666666666666666666667")

The board works well as a Tri-fin or a Quad...

HAVE FUN!

Thank you Captain Eric Bertotti, Crew, and Oceanside Fire Department for the excellent opportunity to do a ride-along with you guys last evening.... and see how it's REALLY done!

2009-11-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

ANOTHER PILOT WHALE MASSACRE IN DENMARK... Help the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to put a stop to this nonsense!

2009-10-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

Fight the Slaughter!

In the following picture, the sea has been dyed red with the blood of a pod of thousands of Pilot Whales, herded into into a Denmark bay for an annual tradition of mammalian slaughter .

This happens EVERY YEAR in the FEROE ISLANDS in DENMARK!

This traditional massacre represents a "right of passage" into adulthood for these young and very misled Denmark youth….

The Pilot Whales do not die right away... their bodies are penetrated with flensing hooks and knives, as they shriek and groan with audible cries! They suffer a slow and agonizing death.

The Danes have no compassion as the docile marine mammals bleed slowly and suffer from their tremendous wounds as they fight, dying in a bay full of the blood of thousands of Pilot Whales from the same pod.

The COWARDS committing the mass slaughter are celebrated (as if this were a sporting event) by onlookers and fellow islanders as heroes of the island, having demonstrated their maturity... to the inhabitants of the island.

"...flensing hooks impaled into their their skulls and bodies as their bones are shattered by the blunt trauma and their skin is flensed off the bone while they writhe in agonizing pain, fighting for their lives..."

Obviously the Danish youth are misinformed and are not educated on the ecological effects of how the their actions negatively affect the entire marine ecosystem on a global scale. Put together a program which goes to countries where mass slaughters like this are performed and accepted as part of the culture or tradition of the people of that area, and educate the people. Convince them that their cultural traditions must be reformed to stop these mass slaughterings of our fragile marine life.

STOP THE SENSELESS KILLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU CAN HELP BY GETTING INVOLVED!!!!!!!!!!!!

SUPPORT THE SEA SHEPPARD SOCIETY!

Paul Gross on the basics of designing a hull

2009-10-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

"Some general hull building info:

Typical outline dimensions, depending on how much drive versus manueverability you want, range from 16" x 21.5"(+5) x 15" (manueverable) to 18.75" x 22.5" (+10) x 15" (drive). Bascially, the more drive, the more nose area and further up the wide point. The further up the wide point, the wider it needs to be in the center to keep the tail wide enough as the outline curve tapers in. 15" is a safe tail width a foot up. Build forward from that number for most mainland small wave conditions. That's a good constant for a hull with no tail V.

If you want to use V, go up to 15.5" or even 16". Keep the V ahead of the fin. V behind the fin adds too much rocker to the rail line in the back. No drive. V in front of the fin flattens the middle rail rocker line, making the board fly out of turns. However, V kills the forward trim capability of hulls. Turns the board into more of a tail rider. Personal taste determines which is better.

6'8" to 7'8" is a comfortable length range, but not limited to that. 3" is a safe thickness, but you have to use a triplane or domed deck to keep the rails thin enough. Resist the temptation to go thinner with a flat deck. The bouyancy of the center area is what get these boards rolling in smaller conditions. If you want thinness, put it in the rails and tail. And keep the rails at least 60/40 or higher until the last 24" to 18". Rocker low...4-5" in the nose. 1-2" in the tail. A slight straight spot running through the middle. Avoid evenly curved rocker schemes.

Tail shape can range from anything from hard square to squash to arc to full roundtail to round pin. Swallows and pins don't seem to work on hulls for surf under 8'.

Use a fin box. Fin shape and placement are pretty important, and every board is different...so give yourself a chance to fool around and see what works for you in your surf. Most hulls like a 9" Greenough/Liddle/Frye fin between 8" and 14" up. Stick with the rear measurement in the beginning. The hulls with fins all the way up are used on proven shapes ridden in good point surf. Put the box 7" up, that will give you plenty of lattitude. Glass over the fin box if you want it to last.

Single 6oz. top and bottom, with either a 4 or 6 deck patch in the middle 3' of the board. Weight isn't super critical with flat rocker and a hull bottom. Use a sanded 320 W/D finish. It helps to water flow stay wetted out. Volan cloth is more durable, especially on boards that bend and twist a little bit. S-Cloth stiffens the structure, so use it sparingly.

The classic S-deck displacement hull, like this circa 1998 7'2" Paul Gross Designed Hull, has a 9" Greenough Stage IV fin, set 14" up from the tail at the trailing edge of the fin. The extreme forward placement is NOT intended to "loosen it up," but to allow the forward rail line to bury into a turn. The entire board (rocker, rails, and hull) is designed around this concept. It appears radical, but in fact it's carefully balanced. The thickness flow on this 7'2" Paul Gross Designed Hull is 1.625" one foot back from the nose, 3" in the center, 1.75" one foot up from the tail.

The tight, parallel track is unique to these boards. They are very fast down the line, but weak in vertical performance." -- Paul Gross (Swaylocks Resources)

My personally hand-shaped home quiver for my son and me, when we surf out front of our house...

2009-10-20T14:09:00.001-07:00

1) The orange and blue one is a model I came up with for Gavin, called The Tadpole. He loves orange, so I had Afranio Albuquerque do a fire resin deck and a blue bottom wrapping around the rails with black pinlines. It's 4'11". He's almost growing out of it, so it'll get passed down to Bella and then Eden.

2) The next one is an exact, and I mean exact replica of my favorite 5'6" MEZ fish. The board I replicated was originally purchased from Raymond Turnipseed for $200. It looked exactly like this one, only the El Pescado I hand-shaped in this picture is 5'7". That is the only difference. I matched the opaque white up with the same blue and purple resin. I love to ride my fish with fins set more forward because I ride with my front foot way up and usually have my back foot right behind it, so I immediately fell in love with the original Mez fish, and in fact, used the same tail and fin placement on a blue fish that I hand-shaped for Delco Hagen in one of my older posts. This board was my toughest fish yet, because I had to get everything exact.

3) The third board from the left is a cross between the 5'7" fish (modified from my 5'6" Mez Fish) and the 6'0" Newshape Quad (to the left and right of it). I took the 5'7" fish template and and 6'0" Newshape template (Bill Thrailkill), and merged them together to get the 5'10" Destroyer Twin in this picture. I like my personal boards logo free, with hand signatures... keep it simple... build 'em... ride 'em.... pass 'em on.... build more of 'em!

4) The fourth board from the left, and my latest project in the "fishy" realm of boards is this 6'0" Bill Thrailkill Newshape Template with quad futues and optional FCS twins. This is my favorite of the 3 shown here that I ride. It is simply MAGIC!

5) I templated, and foiled this lime green flex fin too...

6) Not that you really care, but you probably wouldn't even notice the cap and shoes if I didn't tell you to check them out. The hand stitched patch cap is from Donegal, Ireland, purchased down the street from my shop at "O' Ireland" on Grand Avenue, Carlsbad. I spent quite a bit of time in Ireland back in 1995, so this cap reminds me of that trip whenever I put it on. I found it appropriate for these shots. The shoes are Etnies with matching patchwork courtesy of Etnies shoes and my brother-in-law Aaron Pallasch.

Daddy & Eden at the beach

2009-10-19T13:28:00.001-07:00

Team Rider Christian Rodriguez.....

2009-10-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

These photos are Christian Rodriguez at N.S. Huntington Beach
E-mail John Lyman Photos at lymanphoto@aol.com

Here's Christian's 5'6" Fish that I shaped. Luiz Masuzzo glassed it. The pic is from his phone, so I'll put some better pics up when he comes down here to surf.

The 5'10" x 21 3/8" x 2 1/2" x 9" tail (tip to tip) Bill Thrailkill "Destroyer Twin" is up for sale after being satisfyingly yet gently test ridden..

2009-10-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

The 5'10" x 21 3/8" x 2 1/2" x 9" tail (tip to tip) Bill Thrailkill "Destroyer Twin" is up for sale after being satisfyingly yet gently test ridden... $500 FIRM

The 7'0" Freak of Laminar Flow has been SOLD...

2009-10-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

The proud new owner of this unique board is Dan Salimone of San Jose, California. He purchased it for $600 including shipping and a brand new Legends board bag! What a deal! I'm very glad that he is the new owner... he lives in "Hull" territory and will be able to help me prove its theoretical design as one that is functional among the hull tribe of Central and Northern California.

The Freak of Laminar Flow

2009-08-27T23:37:00.000-07:00

Here's my buddy Brad Whann holding The Freak after Rusty Whitlock glassed it and I foiled a fin for it. I threw a 15" Bahne box in there from the old Aipa Stinger days (7" from tail) and placed the base of trailing edge of my flex fin at 14" from the tail (for now).

The Freak of Laminar Flow

-Kawika (David Falkenau)
Artisan Surf Designs: Falkenau Surfboards & Fins
http://www.artisansurfdesigns.blogspot.com

Well, I've been pretty busy lately... shaping almost a board a day in my shop...

2009-08-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

Soon I'll be posting pics of several boards I've shaped over the last few weeks....

6'2" Aaron Pallasch Shorty

6'0" New Shape Quad with BT Twin optional plugs... a personal board to demo (I have to foil the twins to custom fit the plug configuration)

6'9" New Shape Quad with BT Twin Surf Systems Slots... for Kenny Ball

7'0" Freak of Laminar Flow (Simmons, Greenough, Liddle, Gross, Krajewski, Noll, Velzy, Bernoulli, Lord, Hall inspired) Hull with 15" box glassed in 7" up from tail, allowing trailing edge of fin base to sit 11-14" up front tail block... plus hand foiled a 9.5" egg flex fin for it... a personal board to demo

7'6" Marathon Board (beginner board / wave catcher) for Steve Pullum

6'0" New Shape Quad with BT Twin Surf Systems Slots for Legends Surf Shop

5'6" Gomez/Johnson style hybrid Fish with custom art lams for Christian at Christian Surfers Huntington Beach

5'1" Custom Siglo 21 Magic Carpet Paipo/BellyBoard Stubby Hull (Emerald Green w/Beta Theta Pi logo) for Stan Stockdale

I also foiled several sets of glass on fins and made one skateboard

I'll be meeting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with my business team for a new run of boards, clothing art, and fins for the NEW Adonai label.

Daddy, we love Wahoo's Fish Tacos!!!

2009-08-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

One Volcano Bowl please! Me tooooooo! Yes! Extra black beans, please!

Did I mention I design tattoos, make custom fins, and skate decks too???

2009-08-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

I shaped the 6'2" Aaron Pallasch Model seen below for Aaron Pallasch on August 4th, 2009

2009-08-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

This is a 6'2" Single to Double Barrel Concave Tri that I designed and hand-shaped on Tuesday of last week... custom for my brother-in-law Aaron Pallash of Adonai Clothing Co. (www.adoniclothing.com)... he's a freak of nature when it comes to his aireal assault in the water... and he destroys boards. He will go through a polyester board in a week to a month (6'+, 190, size 11 shoes)... stomps through a deck laminated with carbon fiber... impact cloth... We were trying to figure out a glassing combination that he can't destroy on his landings, and found an amazing product from my friend Raul Espinosa over at Keahana. We are going to be making some of Aaron's boards using Keahana's blanks and Triaxial EPS Epoxy System. It's more expensive ($340 just to make each board) but they will outlast any other board out there.

Need Glass-ons?

2009-07-01T13:36:00.001-07:00

I just made a fresh batch of Glass-On Fins. My Inventory is constantly changing because I mainly do this as a hobby, so I take my time, and make sure my fins are very high quality. For my fiberglass fins, I pay to have the fin panels oriented and laid up for me. Then I take the fin panels back to my shop, trace my templates onto them, cut the fin blanks from the templates on my band saw or with my jig saw (depending on the material), foil them with my Makita sander / grinder, fine tune them by hand-sanding and hand-polishing them, and once they are quality enough to be glassed on a board, I sign them. Check with me on sizes and colors. I also make Wood Baltic Birch Ply Fins and Carbon fiber reinforced fins (which are slightly more expensive due to the carbon fiber material that is used).

Side Bites / Side Runners / Bonzer Runners (1 pair)... $30;

Twin-Fin Set (1 pair)... $35;

Keel Fins / Fish Fins (1 pair)... $40;

Tri-Fin Set (Set of 3 fins)... $45;

Quads / Twinzers (Set of 4 fins)... $50;

Give me a call at 619-757-0100, and I will meet you over at my shop (2658 State Street, Carlsbad, CA 92008) to show you the fins I have.

Thanks,

Dave

Here's the fin I made for Eric Holt's 8' Balsa Gun

2009-06-08T21:33:00.001-07:00

I grabbed some scrap from my stock, glued this up, traced out my template on it, cut it out on the band saw, foiled the fin blank, went over to my buddies, and glassed it with a tint made to look like amber. The strips are Redwood, but I'm not quite sure what wood I grabbed for the light shade... too much wood just mixed and matched in my stock pile.

I roughly foiled the amber glassed fin and hit it with some fine paper and diamond shine wax polish. It still needs a precision foiling and a high grit automotive polish (but I'll leave that up to Eric, since I haven't actually seen the board).

I left a tab in case he wants to use it in a box, but most likely, that will just get cut off on the band saw and glassed onto the 8' balsa gun.

This was a fun project for an old friend, and a great surfer of the "freshwater" tribe!

The fin will finally make its home with the 8' Balsa gun in Holland Michigan.

I'll post the final pics when I get them from Eric.

Here's my 13'5" Yellow Single Fin Pintail that I'm trading to Paul Jensen for his 24' Maas Unlimited Class Open Ocean Paddle Board

2009-06-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

More shots of the 5'10" Thrailkill Twin that I shaped... it's down in Sandy Eggroll, with Josh Hall right now.

2009-05-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is the Thrailkill Twin / "Destroyer Twin" / BT Arc Fish / Broom Fish / Grouper Fish. It goes like a scorched ape!

I can make it 5'4" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 6'1" 6'2" 6'3" 6'4" 6'5" 6'6" 6'7" 6'8" 6'9" 6'10" 6'11" 7'0" 7'4" 7'10" 8'0" 8'6" 8'10" 9'0" 9'2".. pretty much just about any length. I just reuse my nose and tail template, and re-bend the rail curve with my wood fare-curve baton, and make a new template.

This board was designed with the help of Bill Thrailkill of the "Surf Systems" fame. What many people don't realize is that 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 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! This board was built for speed. His boards are arguably 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.

The actual board in the photos is the 5'10" with a 9" square-tail from tip to tip, 21 3/8" wide, and 2 1/2" Thick.

I wanted to take it out on this small crappy beach break day to see how it compares to a traditional fish of the same dimensions. Steve Lis' fish was originally designed for these Southern San Diego summer-like conditions, and my square-back-Thrailkill-twin version proved itself on every wave!

Above is Noah Houde's dad testing it out

Well... as of today, I'm officially an EMT!!!!!!!

2009-05-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

After about a year of school, scenarios, testing, performing skills, etc... I finally made it!

Next up... EMT-I and EMT-Paramedic through Hill College, Texas! It'll take me about another year, but I'll make a pretty good candidate for just about any fire department around with my Paramedic.

My Skil 190, 5.5A Serial #A-730889 (approx. 55 years old) after Pete Casica's overhaul

2009-05-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Following Josh Hall's advice that my Clark Foam Hitachi planer # CF 4353 was 99% of my problem when I'd run into shaping problems like dips in the rails of one of my longer boards, I decided to sell it (got $250 for it) and invested the money into overhauling my Skil 190 planer circa 1954/1955. This will be my sole planer from here on out.

Note: The knob is from Phil Edwards' own personal planer, from the box of Skil 100 parts he gave to Pete C... so it has some cool history! Terry Martin looked my planer over as well, and commented on what a classic tool it is, and told Pete to find him one! Pete said he's only seen two -- mine, and another one that was in really bad shape.

Here's what I have into my Skil 190, 5.5A
Serial #A-730889 as of today's invoice from Pete C...

$256.09 (price I paid for it on E-bay)

$25.00 (shipping)

$62.00 (what I dropped on the carbide tipped planner blades that I destroyed with my hammer)

$34.00 (NEW ANK HSS Planer Knives to replace the originals and the ones I destroyed with my hammer)

$2.38 (CA sales Tax)

$6.00 (Priority shipping)

$135.00 (Pete C making it like brand new again)

______________________________________

$520.47 (grand Total).....

Not bad for a classic tool that will last longer than I will on this planet.

Here's exactly what Pete did to my planer up in Dana Point and at his Riverside location...

ITEM DESCRIPTION AMOUNT:
1) Bead-blast all housings and cutter drum, paint steel covers (No charge)
2) Disassemble, clean, check mechanical and electrical; Clean motor communtator;
Modify/adjust depth lever for free operation; Resurface and remove sharp edges on
baseplate and shoe; Reassemble, test. ($ 50.00)
3) Install new bearing set (4 bearings) ($ 45.00)
4) Straighten cutter drum and motor shafts. ($ 25.00)
5) Install and align new blade set. ($ 10.00)
6) Remove knob stud and install Skil 100 front knob. ($ 5.00)

SUBTOTAL ($135.00)
TAX .00
SHIPPING & HANDLING .00

TOTAL $ 135.00

-Kawika (David Falkenau)
Artisan Surf Designs: Falkenau Surfboards & Fins
http://www.artisansurfdesigns.blogspot.com

For those of you who still think that we don't get good waves on Lake Michigan...

2009-05-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

If you really want to get a good feel for the musical talent in the midwest, check out these bands.... Leatherheads...and.... The Deal With 44....

2009-05-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

I originally wanted to move to California so I could have my shot at trying to bust into the music scene. I had always thought that the music scene was weak where I grew up in the Midwest. What I quickly realized after moving here, was that the quality of musicians I was working with in the Midwest was far superior to the musicians I was working with in California... and I don't mean that in a bad way... I just know that the people I worked with in the Midwest were more seasoned, well practiced, disciplined, and had a deep soul for the music they were playing, and I realized that it's not the musicians in the Midwest that are lacking, it's the small crowd factor and the inconsistent pool of fans that have always kept us behind in the race to the top.

So before you make any kind of assumption or comment about the music scene in the Midwest, remember, Wilco lives and records in Chicago... go buy Yankee Hotel Foxtrot... and watch "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart," a film about Wilco by Sam Jones. Also, keep in mind that Umphrey's McGee started up at Notre Dame, and those guys all started out playing in other outfits, mostly made up of our circle of friends and fellow musicians. furthermore, Chris Robinson from the Black Crowes holds jams in Chicago and often resides there as well.

The bands/musicians that were really good, that stand out in my memory are/were (in no particular order)The Mushroom Head Experience; Umphrey's McGee; Ali Babba's Tahini; Little Frank; Sixteen Tons; X-ray Roger Jimmy; Matt Kovatch (the John Popper of the Midwest); The Deal with 44; Jake Sandock; Aaron "ABE" Sandock; Steve Krojo; Brian Pierce; Steve Pierce; Kieth Paraska; Eric Norris; Derron Hess; Joe Griesenger; Jeff Harrison; Nate Rowe; Dry Rain; The Happy Campers; Kyle Pulk; Chris Lutz; Scott Burkhart; Andy Wincek; Captain Smoothie; John Hicks; Dave Fisher; Jack Wilkinson; Doug Lambert; Aaron Hatton; George Anagnos; The Why Store; Chris Shaffer; Strawberry Larry; Governor Davis; John Mellencamp; Tofer; Jason Michael Thomas; Wilco; Jeff Tweedy; Uncle Tupelo; Jay Bennett; my old drummer "Vinny"; Leatherheads; and gosh, I could go on with this list all day long.

My point is, there is a hub of musicians in the Midwest that need to be placed in the lime light... it's their time to shine!

Here are two of those bands....

Yesterday morning out front of my house... not too big, but fun and uncrowded! I was riding a 5'6" Keel Fish that I shaped for this particular wave.

2009-05-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

A Failsafe Formula for a Chart Topping Pop Song By David Falkenau

2009-04-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

A Failsafe Formula for a Chart Topping Pop Song

By David Falkenau

Tell your version of the story.

Your song’s story should have a beginning, middle and an end – or like an essay, an intro, body, and conclusion. Split your song up into three parts.

Use the recipe… only add to it after you’ve mastered the original! Then you can spice it up!

Two chart topper “pop” formats are:

Intro/Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus/Bridge/Instrumental/Outro

(I/V/C/V/C/B/i/O)

Intro/Verse/Pre-Chorus/Chorus/Verse/Pre-Chorus/Chorus/Instrumental/Pre Chorus/Chorus

(I/V/PC/C/V/PC/C/i/PC/C)

Don’t make it too long… and don’t make it too short!

Four minutes to four minutes and thirty seconds is the ideal length (4:00 – 4:30).
Thirteen seconds (:13) is the ideal length for an intro, and no more than fifteen to twenty seconds (:15 - :20) at the longest.

You need a well balanced beat / tempo / time-signature.

Chart toppers are usually mid-tempo grooves or up-tempo dance tunes.
4/4 time is ideal (4 whole beats per measure… one, two, three, four…).

If you’re fishing for listeners, set that hook!

Your song must have a “catchy” melody in the introduction or in the chorus that will “hook” your listeners, and make them want to sing or hum that melody over and over in their heads.
Your melody should build-up, or rise in action (like a plot diagram in a novel) through the verse and pre-chorus on its way up to the chorus.
Your melody should climax, or reach its “peak” at a point in the chorus where it all seems to come together.
Let your hook stand out or be known as set apart from the rest of the song.
Give it a different rhythm that clearly “hooks” your listener’s curiosity or attention.

Thank you S.D.F.D. Station 12 and Medic 12 for an awesome ridealong experience...

2009-03-09T08:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning, Sunday, March 8, 2009, I pulled up into the parking lot of Station 12 in Lincoln Park, San Diego at 6:58 a.m. I was led through the gate by a firefighter in turnout gear. She showed me where to park and introduced me to Chris, from the San Diego Fire & Rescue Rural Metro 9-1-1 unit, just getting off a 12 hour shift. He showed me where to put my gear, and went over the compartments on the ambulance with me. Before I even had time to introduce myself to the C-shift crew, getting ready to change the shift over to the A-shift crew (and drop off the bagels I brought as a token of my appreciation), Chris's pager went off. My ride-along was supposed to start a 7:30, but Chris said, grab your gear... let's go. I put on my BSI and rolled up onto the scene of our first call.

I ran the first call with Chris, an EMT, and Colin A. Lewis, a Paramedic. The rest of my shift was with Colin (Paramedic), Bobby C (Paramedic), and the A-shift crew.

I cannot legally discuss details of the calls we were on, but we ran 6 calls in a 12 hour shift (which was actually 7AM - 8:30PM for me... and I loved every minute of it!). We ran calls ranging from adult respiratory to adult cardiac to infant respiratory to an MS patient fall to abdominal pains to an attempted suicide.

I know how firehouses are very much like my old Beta Theta Pi fraternity house at Ball State Univeristy. The crews are very close-knit like family, and they love to mess with the new guy probies and ride-alongs. Put it this way... I didn't fall for the "Oh come on in... were not like that here... we're very chill... just have a seat and read the news paper, and get yourself some coffee..." line when I first walked into the kitchen. And I knew better than to even look into the TV area of the bull pen. I was cracking up when Bobby and Colin told me about the last kid that rolled through here. The guys had him all kicked back with his feet up on the kitchen table, reading a newspaper, and drinking coffee out of the Chief's cup, when the Chief rolled in... I wish I could have seen that!

Anyway, Station 12 is a solid group of genuine people, doing one heck of a great job for the people of San Diego. They have the greatest job in the world, and they don't take it lightly.

I want to thank each and every person that allowed me to make this ride-along happen, and everyone who worked with me... C-shift, A-shift, and especially Chris, Bobby, and Colin on M12.

You guys (and gal) made my whole weekend!

Thanks!

- Dave

Gotta say thanks to San Diego Fire Department Station 12, Medic 12 for letting me do my 8 hour ride along clinical time with them...

2009-03-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

I will be putting in 8 hours on Sunday Morning, March 8th from 7:30 am to 3:30pm with Medic 12, Station 12, Lincoln Park, San Diego! It's all part of my EMT certification for my Firefighter-EMT.

Twinny Report: February 20-23, 2009 - Army Navy Beach, Carlsbad, CA

2009-03-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

I took my 5'10" twin out again this weekend...

I caught 3 waves on Friday before the sun went down, and each one was perfect, glassy, and wide open. I was absolutely flying... or at least it felt that way. My 3rd wave was from the General's house all the way to Fred Kiko's white wave house which is nearly a football field in distance. I was putting so much into that wave, that I felt like puking when I kicked out and laid back down to paddle out... When I got out of the water, my neighbor, Pat, yelled down from his balcony, "David, you looked like you were twenty years old again... nice job out there, kid!" That made me feel like a million bucks.

Saturday, I surfed from 7am until 10:15am, and just couln't surf anymore. I caught too many amazing lefts and rights. My turns made me feel like I was just all style, but I know it was just the board, doing all the work for me. I can't really describe the feeling...

Saturday evening, I surfed again for about 3 hours and just killed it. I was just cranking the shit out of my bottom turns, and just flying back up the face and blowing the lip apart, and re-entereing the face, flying past the sections back up into the upper 3rd, cutting back, makeing sections into shallower water going top to bottom in seconds, just mind-blown at the performance aspects that this new fin setup has added to my "used-to-be-fish-template". It is night and day (this template) ridden as a fish, quad, or twin.

I was too pooped to even paddle out on Sunday... my arms were noodles.

Thanks, Bill, for making me feel like 35 ain't so old afterall!

-Kawika (David Falkenau)
Artisan Surf Designs: Falkenau Surfboards & Fins

ARTISAN SURF DESIGNS: 2658 STATE STREET, CARLSBAD, CA 92008

2009-02-25T11:49:00.000-08:00

Check out this Yellow Skip Frye Keel Fish

2009-02-25T11:43:00.000-08:00

If you'd like to see these beautiful Frye Fish, they are hanging on display in the back room at Legends Surf, 2658 State Street, Carlsbad, CA 92008...

2009-02-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

THEY ARE NOT FOR SALE, SO PLEASE DON'T ASK... THEY WERE GIFTS FROM MY WIFE AND FROM SKIP... I WILL NEVER SELL THESE! I've ridden "Big Red" the Salmon colored one a few times, but "Baby Blue" the Blue one with the sick pinlines has never even seen a bar of wax.

Bill Thrailkill routing out twin boxes in my shaping bay....

2009-02-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

Read about the twin set-up here!

Chad Brienza (a.k.a. Chad Matthews)

2009-01-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

Here's my drummer... thought I'd give him props and also help Ian Gallagher show off his photo skills!

2008-12-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a Photo Collection of some of my shapes...

"Just me and my pal Johnny Walker, and his brothers Black and Red..." I made these DESTROYER TWINS for my Thrailkill Twin arsenal...

2008-12-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

These Falkenau Fins "DESTROYER TWINS" work "'Thoroly' good" in my Thrailkill Twin box set-up with my arsenal of Falkenau - Thrailkill Square / Arc / and Broom Tail boards (5'10", 6'0", 6'8", 6'9", 7'0", 7'4", 7'10", 8'4", 8'10", and 9'0"). They are a tribute to one of my favorite bands... George Thorogood and The Destroyers

New Caledonia Shark Steaks

2008-12-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

New Caledonia Shark Steaks

3lbs. shredded coconut
5lbs. shark filets (calls for Great White, but obviously that's not possible or even cool to use... so I just used Thresher, Blue, and Mako)
3 tbsps. coconut oil
4 cups crushed pineapple
1 clove garlic, crushed (may be left out if you prefer)
Pinch of Saffron (I couln't find Saffron that didn't cost a grip of money, so I just used Mexican Saffron and it worked just fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water or fish stock (I think fish stock is nasty, so I used chicken stock and it worked just fine)

Lightly fry the shredded coconut in coconut oil.
Add crushed pineapple, garlic, saffron, salt & pepper, plus water or stock.
Place shark filets over the mixture and bring to rapid boil.
Let boil for 20-25 minutes, keeping the kettle tightly covered.
Remove shark steaks and place over French bread, if available, or yams which have been baked.
Now boil down the remaining liquid so that it is thick and pour over the shark.
this is really delicious, although the garlic can be left out if you don't like garlic.
It is just that Garlic is ubiquitous in all French recipes whether it is needed or not, so since this is a French recipe and I love Garlic, I use it... all of it!

Enjoy!

Here's my Vintage Relic Surfboards Australia Pin Machine around 7'

2008-12-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

This was made in the G & S Factory in PB back around 1968-1970 when Floyd Smith was mowing foam in the bays. It is #9098. I couldn't find a signature anywhere, but maybe it's a Floyd Smith, or a Skip Frye. I've even been told that Larry Mabile shaped it, Hence the "Lion" logo, but I don't think so because Lairmo didn't start with G & S until 1979, and this was definitely shaped before 1979.

Report #3 for the 5'10"... and pics of the board...

2008-12-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

12-11-08
2:39PM - 3:47PM
Army and Navy Academy Beach
2' to the occasional 4'
Clean and Glassy
Super Low Tide

I am starting to really get used to this board, riding it standing up, riding it prone, and riding it as a knee board.

The board can be as fast as the wave allows it, allowing me to be where I need to be, when I need to be there. I can always slow it down by putting my hand in the wave face.

Also, I've noticed that it is very maneuverable... just as maneuverable if not more maneuverable than any single fin, twin fin, fish, quad, 5 fin, tri-fin (thruster), widow-maker, 2 + 1, or whatever that I've ridden.

I used to have a quiver of over 150 surfboards, hanging from the ceilings and walls of my living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, deck, and stashed around the campus at the school where I teach.

I used to surf a minumum of 4 sessions per day... in the morning when I woke up before school, on my break, at lunch, and after school with my students. On the weekends, I would surf for hours at a time... my longest being 10 hours before I felt like a wet prune, burned to a crisp by the sun, and weak from paddleing with no food or water. I just loved to surf.

My point in telling you this is that, all of those sessions gave me the oportunity to take out a new board, or try out a new fin, or experiment with a new set-up... basically what ever I felt like doing with that board at the time. Changing boards through my entire quiver allowed me to really know what worked, what didn't, how it worked, what I liked, what I didn't, what I would have changed, How each board and fin set-up felt, etc.

All of this R & D out in the water allowed me to absorb it, think about it, and take it all back to my shaping bay to apply what I had learned to the boards I was shaping at the time.

I think that was the most valuable lesson in learning how to shape the perfect board for me and my style of surfing (and how to really surf to my highest potential), because I learned exactly what I needed to learn from each of those boards and from the waves I was surfing, so I could apply it to the surfboard designs I was refining, the shapes I was designing and the boards I shaped in my shop.

This board is one of those "perfect" boards for "me". This 5'10" is the end product of all of those surf sessions on 150+ different surfboards with various fin set-ups, countless discussions with Master Shapers and Master Craftsmen... Artisans like Mike Diffenderfer, Carl Ekstrom, Skip Frye, Bill Thrailkill, Jerry Ingham, Donald Takayama, Danny Hess, Paul Jensen, etc. -- not to mention all of the countless hours of posts, PM's, reading, conversations, and research on SWAYLOCKS!

I have finally found the perfect board.

REPORT #2 for the 5'10" ...

2008-12-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

Posted: Dec 8, 2008, 12:48 PM on Swaylocks

Okay, Guys.. here is report #2 for the 5'10"
....

Army and Navy Academy Beach
Saturday 12-06-08
Session: 5:30AM - 10:45AM
Wave Height: waist to shoulder
Conditions: side shore / slight offshore and glassy

I got up at 5:15AM, moved the BT high Aspect Ratio Fins all the way up to the front of the box, with the leading edge about 14-16" up from the tail, donned my smelly wetsuit (still wet from the day before), re-waxed the 5'10, and headed down the Academy stairs (having a key is definitely a perk) to my home break.

I have been living out front of the Academy for about 6 years and have surfed it for 8, so I pretty much have the place wired. It was still a little too dark, but I paddled out anyway.

The waves were there, but due to the extreme high tide, it was breaking too mellow and close to shore to get anything of any quality.

I paddled back and forth from The Point to the north of the Academy and south to the Beach Terrace Inn until about 10:45.

The wave quality and rides got better as the tide dropped. The first wave I took was in front of the lifeguard tower and I took it right with a glassy face and open shoulder about 50 yards to the public access stairs next to Dr. Meiberger's yellow beach house. The board maxed out the wave's speed every time I pumped up into the upper third and held that line. The fin adjustment made a dramatic difference from having them all the way back to the tail the day before. It was much looser, and more to my style and feel.

After moving north toward the point, I got into the rip between the General's house and the new condos and held my position there against the long-shore current because I have figured out that when I first see the wave starting to roll, I can see whether or not it is going to be a right or a left, and sitting in that spot allows me enough time to paddle (at first site) over to catch a right or a left. My next two quality waves were both lefts.

I paddled almost too deep into the pocket of the first left with some good size to it, gave one stroke as it started to throw, got up, grabbed a rail for a split second (not quite barreling yet because of the tide) and flew down the wave until it closed out. I did the same on the next left, only it closed out sooner than the last.

A nice right rolled through and I took off late, made the hook back up into the face and just flew like a scorched ape (as Bill would say) down the face, made another bottom turn as the lip started to fold, planned on doing a floater, but instead, aired right out of the damn wave, because I was going so fast. That surprised me, because it didn't seem like a board I would think to do aerial maneuvers with... especially with those high aspect fins... wouldn't want to come down hard on a landing and snap one or both of those fins or over-stress the boxes.

I was having so much fun that a set wave rolled through, started to break before I could get to it, and decided to ride it anyway on my knees. I couldn't believe how fast I flew out in front of the foam and face. It worked even better as a knee-board!

I ended up riding it as a knee-board for a while and getting little barrels on the inside.

I rode perfect little barrel in a prone position on the inside and felt like a dolphin... it was too cool... just a great feeling.

As the tide dropped out and the waves started to really get good shape, I went back to standing, and just pushed the envelope until my wife and kids came down to the beach. My arms were noodles by then, so I got out and passed the board on to my buddy Steve Peek, when he and his brother Dave came down the public access stairs. He said "What's that!?!" I said, "Go ride it! It's the board you saw when you drove by my house the day I was showing it to Bill, before he routed the slots out for the boxes!" He grabbed the board and caught about 5 waves on it. He came back in and told me it was fun and asked if he could ride it again when the waves got bigger.

I'm just going to keep passing this thing along to let people try it out.

I texted Skip Frye and Left a message with Josh Hall as well to get Richard Kenvin to ride it. I think with the waves down south of here in San Diego, the board will really come alive and show its true potential.

Until next time... stay tuned!

-Kawika

5'10" Square Tail Fish w/ Thrailkill Twin Set-up Report #1

2008-12-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Posted: Dec 5, 2008, 5:33 PM on Swaylocks

Okay, I admit that I'm still buzzing from the adrenaline, so please excuse me and my Greenroom Font Color...... BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

The waves were mediocre, 4' faces with lefts, rights, and a lot of closing sections. I tried to get out at mid-tide, but life kinda got in the way. However, I was able to run over to my shop, pick the board up, wax it at home, and walk down the beach access to my home break.

I caught 7 good waves (4 rights and 3 lefts).

The first right I took off on closed out quickly, but one good pump in my bottom turn and I flew right past the foam and connected the section. I immediately stood up in the waist high water, flipped the board over, and said, "I'm really onto something here!" I had the fins set all the way to the back of the box, and it was fine, but I think next time I'll move them up a bit to make my turning radius looser.

I have to make this post short, because my wife is at home waiting for me to get there so we can all have dinner....

Anyhow, There was no learning curve with this board. I felt comfortable with it right away... very stable, very fast, very maneuverable. In fact, I noticed that once I got to a certain speed, I could put pressure on my front foot and it revealed a sweet spot that was like an accelerator... I mean that thing really zipped across the face. I tried to paddle in sideways to the waves to get in quickly and stay in the upper third of the wave face and avoid having to make a bottom turn, where at this particular beach break, I would lose that time that I needed to get going before the lip folded and closed out. This helped a great deal and I definitely saw the potential of this fin set-up.

My last wave was a left hand set wave that was about head high. I was going so fast that at one point the board nearly shot out from under my feet, and I had to lean forward and into the face more to stay with the board. I was flying. This was the wave where I realized that I am sure that I will be experimenting more with this setup. I had to call it a session after this wave... I wanted to end it on a good one!

I am completely stoked.

Until Report #2, stay tuned......
-Kawika

If you are a fan of the classic "Fish" surfboard, I think you should come by my shop and take out one of my Thrailkill Fish...

2008-12-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

For me, it all started after I met Bill Thrailkill. I had been hanging out with Skip Frye at church, out in the water, and in his shop, taking in every last bit of his knowledge about shaping and theory. I had never ridden a board that I liked as much as my Frye's. I used to just sit there with my mouth shut and watch every pass, every move, every detail. At one point, he made a comment to me about being the "inspector" because I was nearly eyeball-to-foam from tip to tail on every square inch of a fish he was shaping for someone. Needless to say, I found no flaws... not even a scratch that didn't match perfectly with the other side. Anyhow, we got to talking about Greenough, flex, Lis, Fish, Geppy, Pendarvis, Pleskunas, and where the "Fish" surfboard was going. At the time he mentioned that the surface hadn't even been scratched as far as the possibilities of where the design could go. Later, I "inspected" the Frye/Pleskunas "wings" glassed onto the rails of his experimental fish designs, tucked into the quiver of boards on the south wall (left hand wall) of his shop. I thought that the fish was the ultimate in board design and surfing. Then I met Bill Thrailkill. It was like Yin had met Yang, going from Frye to Thrailkill in my mind's eye of board and fin design theory. Frye was all about flex and all about having those Geppy fins lined up on the pins right at the butt crack. Thrailkill was anti-flex, all about speed out of rigidity, and swore upon a fish design with no butt crack cut out of the tail, but more of a wide square tail, arc tail, or broom tail, driven by two symmetrically foiled fins in Fins Unlimited boxes, glassed 2" off center (the stringer being the center), and working best with rigid high aspect fins foiled on the insides, flat on the outsides, and 6" bases (Thrailkill or Brewer Templates). My mind has been doing flips ever since. I had been lucky enough to spend time learning from masters of both worlds.

I guess I am a sucker for extremes, because I can't put down my 5'10" and 6'9" Frye Fish that Skip and my wife Melissa surprised me with (one on my birthday, and one at Christmas). Nor can I ever part with my collection of Skip Frye foiled flex fins. And I have shaped more Frye, Lis, Pendarvis, and Pleskunas inspired fish/fish-quad style boards that I can shake a stick at. Yet, I have been taking in everything Bill Thrailkill says (especially after 3 seminars at the Surfing Heritage Foundation and trips to Jim Phillips' shop) about design, theory, rigid vs. flex, thicker foils vs. thinner foils, hard edges, down rails, venturi effect, etc. and I have gravitated toward trying to find the ultimate speed board for the upper third of the wave face. I have templated out Bill's "New Shape" Template, the 7'10", the "one board quiver", the modified Phil Edwards template, the gun curve template, Bills rocker template for the one board quiver, and I have combined what I have learned from him into a 5'10", a 6'0", and a 6'8" with down rails, a hard tail sharp enough to slice yer nuts off, and twin fins in boxes 2" off center (each fin 1" off center)... just like the man taught me. Bill and I worked on these recently and I picked up 4 sets of his custom fins for these boards. I think the man knows what he is talking about. Bill says there is a Venturi effect that occurs between those fins at that precise distance, and I intend to find out exactly what it is that he has discovered.

HYDRODYNAMICA by Richard Kenvin... Check It Out!

2008-11-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.hydrodynamica.com

"Hydrodynamica is an independent film project that looks at surfing culture from a different perspective. As much a social commentary as a surfing documentary, the film explores the legacy several tribes of nonconformist surfers active from the 1940s to the present. Hydrodynamica is currently in production." - RK

http://www.3sesenta.tv/files/Image/Hydrodynamica.jpg
http://www.3sesenta.tv/index.php/es/3sesentatv /?video=10

http://www.indie911.com

2008-11-18T15:52:00.001-08:00

I'll tell ya what... It just doesn't get any better than Skippy & Geppy when it comes down to the ultimate in fin design and craftsmanship... CHECK IT

2008-11-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

Well, whenever I start to think I have it bad, or that things aren't going as I'd like them to, I just think about how blessed I am....

2008-11-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

I started up a new blog for Firefighters and Fighting Fires, called LEATHER-HEAD... check it out....

2008-11-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

It's called "Leather-Head", after the leather fire helmets that are still worn into the line of duty today! Check it out and stay up to date with the latest in Fire Technology and Fire Science!

In case you haven't seen Paul Jensen's new Blog, you MUST check it out....

2008-11-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

Paul Jensen is the originator of the modern hollow wood surfboard, and the only one out there who is doing it for the love of the craft by teaching people how to make them in organized classes around the world. Go Paul! Check out his boards at www.hollowsurfboards.com and look at his blog as well: www.hollowsurfboards.blogspot.com when you get the chance!

Here's a shot of my dog, Nick out front of our house, and the rest are of the 9'0" I shaped for Uncle Louie Garcia....

2008-11-08T11:45:00.001-08:00

Nick

Bella & Uncle Louie

Frye Template PinTail Section

Frye Template Nose Section

9'0" x 22 1/4" wide x 2.95" thick - He'e Nalu 2008 -

Uncle Louie - It's all about Jesus!

Goodbye, Gram... I love you, and you'll always be on my mind.

2008-10-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

Goodbye, Gram... I love you, and you'll always be on my mind.

Maxine E. Davis
(July 4, 1920 - October 18, 2008)

"Dee Dee Deedleledle dee dee dee... dee dee deedleledleee!"

Ol' Gramma! What a corker!

I'll never forget all of our great talks, and the fun we had researching our Native American ancestry. She was hero in her own right! I remember people asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I would say, "An Indian!" I told Grandma that, and she gave me a Chief's head-dress.

My Grandma was a very special person, and I was very close to her.

I got to talk to her the night before she passed, but I had a gut feeling that it was the last time I'd get to talk with her (and it was). I let her know how much I loved her and told her about her newest great grand daughter, Eden. My oldest daughter's nick-name is Mickey, just like Grandma's. So her name will live on. Grandma had a beautiful life, and I know this was her time. So celebrate her life with a smile, and remember this Indian proverb that she once told me... "When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries and YOU rejoice." I'll never forget that, and even though we've all shed our tears. I'm sure she is rejoicing in the fact that we will remember her and all of the great memories that she gave us. God bless.

Maxine “Mickey” Elizabeth Davis, 88, of Granger passed away in her home at 12:25 pm, Saturday, October 18, 2008 surrounded by family. Mickey was born on July 4, 1920 to the late Clarence and Esther (Schmitt) Ruffner. On March 30, 1946, she married Elmer “Bud” Neil Davis.

Mickey was a member of Albright United Methodist Church, Mishawaka. She was a member of the Beiger Heritage Foundation and the Mishawaka Antique Club. She had two years of Nurses Training at Memorial Hospital in South Bend and worked for a local pediatrician. Mickey also worked at Wyman’s, Hudson’s and Van De Walle Monuments. Maxine’s ancestors were one of the first sixteen settlers to settle in Mishawaka in the 1800’s. She received a certificate from the Millennium Committee in recognition of the Smith and Schmitt families who resided in the Mishawaka area from 1900-2000 by the honorable Mayor Beutter.

Mickey is survived by her loving husband; four children, Janice (Bill) Shaw of South Bend, Jill Comfort of South Bend, Jackie Vogler of Mishawaka and Jody (Lucy) Davis of Granger, ten grandchildren, Kimberly McCall, David (Melissa) Falkenau, Jennifer (Tommy) Laymon, Rebecca Dahlin, Angela Comfort, Alicia Comfort, Michael Vogler, Ann (David) Emmitt, Benjamin Davis and Nicole Davis. She also has eight great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews and is also survived by one brother, Jack (Dorene) Ruffner of Mishawaka. She is preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Virginia Imbro.

Visitation will be held from 5:00-8:00 pm, Wednesday, October 22, 2008 in Chapel Hill Funeral Home, 10776 McKinley Highway, Osceola. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am, Thursday, October 23, 2008 in the funeral home. Rev. Warren Kirkwood will officiate. Entombment will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, Osceola.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Albright United Methodist Church, 504 W. Mishawaka Ave., Mishawaka, 46544 or The Center for Hospice & Palliative Care, 111 Sunnybrook Ct, South Bend, IN 46637

"For ease and simplicity in ordering sympathy floral arrangements online, from the comfort and convenience of your home or office, please visit our website at www.memorygardensfloral.com. Numerous photographs for you to browse and a price range for every budget. This is a local floral ordering service and is under the complete direction and supervision of the staff at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home."

My 2nd daughter, Eden Clara Victoria Falkenau, was born on Sept. 24th at 6:32 in the morning... 5lbs. 7 oz. !!!!!

2008-09-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

Here are pics of Chris Medina's 6'1" Arc Pin Tail & 6'1" Square Tail: both with my patent pending "multi-curve" templates

2008-08-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sponsored Rider: Chris Medina (Monster Energy; Fuel TV; Osirus Shoes; Rasta Surf Cult; Brotherhood Boardshop; etc.) with his two new 6'1" shortys...

Check out the latest from Skip and Josh at WAVES FOREVER!

2008-08-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.joshhallsurfboards.com/
http://www.wavesforever.com/

Hey music fans... I just got back in touch with my old crooning buddy, Rheanna Downey, and we talked about putting together another music project...

2008-08-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

So stay tuned, and be sure to visit our myspace accounts:

www.myspace.com/davidfalkenau
www.myspace.com/rheannadowney

Stay tuned to hear the latest from my new band, SONS OF THUNDER...

2008-05-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

Between 2001 and 2005, I played in Bedhead Blonde, Ten Foot Gun, Brain Buckit, and Lord Rochester's Monkey with Chad Brienza (a.k.a. Chad Matthews) on the drums.

We've started up our most recent band, "Sons of Thunder" with Big Wesley on Guitar and Vocals, Marshall on Bass (the last pic is of our old bass player, Aquilino Soriano and Chad Brienza from Brain Buckit and 10 Foot Gun), Chad on Drums, and Me on Vocals, Fender Rhodes Piano, Hammond B-3 Organ, and Guitar. This band is a God-send and we are using our talents and our musical gifts for our mission and our ministry.

Keep an eye out for us in the San Diego and North County area...

-Dave

Protect OUR Pelicans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.carlsbadmagazine.com/Stories/windmaster.html

Windmaster, Shadowcaster By Wendy Hinman | Photography by Sharon AnthonyCarlsbad is a critical roost for the California brown pelican

The Pacific bottlenose dolphin and the California brown pelican are the most intimate friends of the Carlsbad surfer. They share sunrises and sunsets, the exhilaration of waves and the drama of wind. They are three species of residents who understand unwritten right-of-ways. One local surfer once wrote a poem “Windmaster, Shadowcaster” and when it was read in class other surfers, just at the title, could close their eyes and see their winged companions rise and fall with the undulation of the waves.

There have been moments, however, in environmental history when the California brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, a subspecies of the greater brown pelican) and humans did not have such a symbiotic relationship. The pelican bordered on extinction. In the ’60s and ’70s, the pesticide du jour for the California farmer was DDT. This absorbed into the watershed, reached the sea and entered the food chain. DDT is fat-soluble and does not break down easily. So much so, that with each link on the contaminated chain, the concentration of poison increased. By the time pelicans were tainted from anchovies and sardines, the DDT levels were devastating.

The poison didn’t kill the birds, but messed up their calcium metabolism, which resulted in thinning their eggshells. These shells could not stand the bird’s weight during incubation. Nesting was producing little. The Environmental Protection Agency banned DDT in 1972. The more healthy pelicans in the Gulf of California—where watersheds contained little or no DDT—were producing, and the species has made a fabulous comeback.The brown pelican is teetering on the edge again, this time of dropping off the endangered species list (it was put on the federal list in 1970 and the state list in 1971). This is good news, but this gallant bird still has rocks in its path, or actually, not enough.

According to the National Park Service, whose jurisdiction includes the vital nesting sites on West Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands, “California brown pelicans still face several threats. Breeding populations and productivity vary dramatically yearly, depending on climatic and oceanographic conditions, which affect food availability and abundance. Other threats include disturbance of roosting and nesting birds, oil spills and other pollution, entanglement with hooks and fishing lines, and disease outbreaks resulting from overcrowding at winter roosts. Nesting and roosting birds are very sensitive to human disturbance. Pelicans are affected by ancillary fishing activities, including the presence of vessels, noise and lights near roosting and breeding areas.”

If nesting colonies are continually disturbed, the pelicans will abandon those sites. Human encroachment has caused this abandonment north of the Channel Islands and from the islands of San Martin and Todos Santos in Mexico. The Coronado Islands are still important breeding spots. A typical clutch has three eggs, but rarely do all three reach adulthood. It is after the hatchlings leave the nest that learning to fish and a safe roost become imperative.

The decrease of roosting sites makes Carlsbad a critical area. Coastal development—who doesn’t want to live by the beach?—has decreased roosting spots from the tip of Baja to British Columbia. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has observed, “Brown pelicans roost communally, generally in areas that are near adequate food supplies, have some type of physical barrier to predation and disturbance, and provide some protection from environmental stresses such as wind and high surf. The brown pelican uses breakwaters, jetties, sand spits and offshore sand bars extensively as daily loafing and nocturnal roost areas.”

Rest is important for these gliders whose wingspans can reach up to seven feet. Riding the thermals can be thrilling, but tiring. Pelicans are not beach bums; they don’t just eat, sleep and breed. They need to do some serious preening. Meticulous groomers, the pelicans use their beaks, with their egg tooth on the end and heads to spread oil from their uropygial (preening) gland on their rump to all their feathers. The oil keeps their feathers water resistant and keeps their bodies warm.

The lagoons of Agua Hedionda and Batiquitos are ideal roosting sites for the pelicans. Buena Vista is not favored by the brown pelican because it has become a fresh water lagoon. After its outlet to the sea was cut off by development and being strangled by tulles, it does not offer much in dry roosts. The flotation devices used by the oyster and mussel farm at Agua Hedionda offer perfect roosts by comparison. Different agencies have been considering putting similar artificial floating structures for pelican roosts in Agua Hedionda and Batiquitos.

The pelicans at Buena Vista are usually the American white pelican who are more amenable to fresh water. But they also frequent Batiquitos. They are a bit larger than their Californian cousins with a wingspan of up to nine feet. They also differ from the browns in that they scoop fish out of the water with their enormous gular. They sometimes fish cooperatively, forming circles and dropping their bills underwater to concentrate a school of fish.

The browns, by comparison, dive for fish sometimes from great heights. Their gulars can hold up to three gallons of fish and water, which they will drain off before swallowing the fish. The brown pelican also has dramatic changes in breeding plumage. Their gulars change to a bright red-orange, their heads become a yellow-white and their hind neck becomes dark brown.

Carlsbad has been a gracious host so far, but we need to be careful that we don’t love our pelicans to death. Ironically, photographers, birders and unsuspecting tourists can disturb roosting colonies the most. The word is to admire them from afar. Or, if you are not a surfer, think about paddling out. Out on the waves, to a line of windmasters, shadowcasters, you are a mere speed bump and they will get quite close to you as they sweep past.

Help Stop The Slaughter NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

Surfers for Cetaceans (S4C) is a voice for the international community of surfers, all of whom, without exception, are the friend of whales and dolphins and who, in a shared love of the ocean, see cetaceans as family - as next of kin.

S4C therefore is opposed to killing or mistreatment of whales and dolphins and calls on all those involved in such to turn away from creating such unnecessary suffering and instead to cherish and celebrate Whale Nation by protecting cetaceans, their home seas and their migrations.

Great opportunity exists for Japan, Norway and Iceland to relinquish whaling to fully embrace the burgeoning global whale watch industry and to raise the status of cetaceans in their respective seas. For example, the Sea of Japan Minke whale, the Bairds beaked whale and the Dall’s porpoise would all become wonderful conservation icons of Japan.

S4C asks that Japan abandon its pelagic whaling expeditions and call off plans to kill protected and much loved South Pacific humpback whales, along with fin and minke whales in the Antarctic.

As surfers and sailors we welcome the annual migration of the Australian and Tongan humpbacks and celebrate more and more known individuals including the famous mothers of the migration.

Japanese, Norwegian and Icelandic tourists who have met cetaceans around the world through whale watching, diving and surfing have also been touched by the truly benevolent and intelligent nature of whales and dolphins and wish, in heartfelt compassion, to see them safeguarded and respected.

Innately, we humans know that marine mammals are people of the sea; whales are an ancient and noble race deserving of our respect and in light of their collective suffering at our hand, our apologies.

It is high time for the international community to honour being in the company of these “international living treasures”, accord them their freedom, and enjoy into the future a peaceable and joyful interaction with cetaceans - an experience treasured by all surfers.

Here are some more detailed pics of the Johnson Summer Hybrid Quad...

2008-05-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

The "Johnson" Summer Hybrid Quad... in da flesh....

2008-05-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

ORDER YOURS TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 619-757-0100

LIFE IS GOOD... GOD IS VERY GENEROUS... VERY GIVING... VERY REAL... JUST LOOK AT THE BLESSINGS...

2008-05-14T23:07:00.001-07:00

Some Miscellaneous "Dave" Pics on the Fender Rhodes with his old band Beadhead Blonde....

2008-04-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

Back around 2001 through 2003, I played Fender Rhodes Piano with a local favorite San Diego Band out of Pacific Beach , CA, where we had a recording studio and practice space at David Eilert's EME office in downtown Sandy Eggroll. We played all over the place, from The Spreckles Theatre, to The Sunshine Company and Winston's in OB, to Big Bertha's Saloon, to Longboard Grill to the Tiki Lounge, to Blind Melons, to the Hotel in Mission Beach, to beach Parties, to Surfrider Foundation Art Gallas, to Parties at Marco's house, to Brick by Brick, to Del Mar, to La Jolla, and all over San Diego County.

The Band consisted of David Eilert on Vocals, Erik Fritzvold on Bass, John Risser on Guitar and vocals, Chad Brienza on Drums, and me on rhodes piano and vocals. Later, we lost Chad Birenza and picked up Wes Billman. The band kinda drifted into new realms and we eventually went our separate ways.

Congratulations to Tommy Hill of the Kansas City Royals Base Ball Team... He is the Proud owner of this glider!!!

2008-04-25T21:39:00.001-07:00

I sold this to Tom Hill Last week. I sold it to him for half price ($500), and he's stoked. He gave me some feedback after paddling out on it and commented on how smooth it rides. Give me a Call and I'll start shaping one for you tomorrow!

Unfortunately, The First Fatal Shark Attack in San Diego County Since 1959 Occurred This Morning (Friday, April 25th, 2008) Off of Fletcher Cove

2008-04-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, The First Fatal Shark Attack in San Diego County Since 1959 Occurred This Morning (Friday, April 25th, 2008) Off of Fletcher Cove at the surf spot known as Tabletops or Pill Box. The victim was not a surfer however, but a member of a group of swimmers.

Witnesses reported seeing a shark in the area. One witness of the attack said one of the victim's legs was severed and there was blood everywhere, and no one could see the victim's body due to the excess of blood in the immediate area. Four of the swimmers managed to get the victim to the beach, but he died on the scene.

It is very unfortunate that something like this had to happen to someone, and usually it is a case of mistaken identity.

I think the water is getting colder and the Whites are moving back down here (So-Cal) to their natural birthing ground off Blacks and that long stretch of deep water basin / Canyon in La Jolla.

Everyone knows about the juvenile Whites that have made their home just south of the power plant at San Onofre. They have made trail 1 and the trails camping area their home, and I would not be surprized that it was one of these that initiated the attack.

You must also realize that Great Whites attack with a "bite-and-spit" method where they will sometimes circle their prey for long periods of time before initiating a single bite, and then they will circle their prey and wait for it to bleed to death before they move in to finish it as a food item.

Great whites in other countries have been known to move and hunt in packs like wolves, where usually one White will initiate the attack and others have been known to attack after the initial attack. This has been proven through tagging, monitoring, and also measuring the bite radius and bite wounds on a victim, where it is obvious that the tooth and jaw patterns do not match up, proving the theory of multiple sharks involved in a single attack.

A combination of these hypothesized theories could be the case with our Solana Beach Victim.

Most likely, the White (or Whites) was / were attracted to the irregular stroke patterns of the 9 swimmers, which sent vibrations and electrical impulses off for distances sensed by the Great White's Ampulae of Lorenzini, where it recognized the pattern as either a wounded fish or prey item, or a seal (or pack of seals).

Since the swimmer was at the rear of the pack, and Great Whites will only attack if they feel that their cover has not been blown, they picked this victim over the others to avoid giving away their stealth presence and to avoid being confronted by the other swimmers (i.e. a group of migrating or feeding seals).

To me, the case of mistaken identity comes into play here because the victim was not eaten. He was bitten and spit out, and probably circled, while the shark or sharks waited for him to bleed out so they could come back for him.

Most of the time however, when a human is attacked like this, the shark will realize that they have not attacked a prey item, and will swim off leaving most victims to survive the attack.

The splashing around in the morning feeding hours is most likely what triggered this attack. It could have also been a case of the shark feeling a threat to the area where juvenile great whites may have been occupying the same space; or even a case of an attack due to feeling threatened by a competition for food, since seals are near by and the swimmers may have been sensed as a threat to the sharks natural prey items. A number of things could have gone on here.

I also believe that dive charters who are feeding sharks and putting people over the side in cages in Isla de Guadelupe, Mexico are really causing problems for us by familiarizing the Whites with humans and associating us with food.

It is not a case for us to issue a "man-hunt" for the Shark or Sharks involved. We are in THEIR territory when we are swimming and surfing and kayaking, etc. They are only doing what is natural and instinctual to them, hunting and finding food in a place that we have made it VERY HARD for them to do.

The last time this happened in San Diego County was in 1959, and the victim was Robert Pamperin, off Alligator Rock in La Jolla, while collecting Abalone. Pamperin's dive partner said it looked like a Killer Whale had been shaking him on the bottom, so no one knows what really happened.

We each have our time to go, and none of us will know when that is until it happens.

My condolences go out to this victim's family.

The Summer Hybrid Quad...

2008-04-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Summer Hybrid Quad is a model I am designing and shaping with John "Jodasch" Johnson. It is a Hybrid Swallow Tail Quad Fish. 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 bottom contours 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.

Thanks!

David Falkenau
619-757-0100

One of the few bullies we have to put up with in our playground...

2008-03-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

School of Rock!

2008-01-25T10:41:00.000-08:00

I wish my teacher would have brought his axe in to my English class to rock out when I was in high school!

Look at this nasty condition caused by chemicals in paint and rubber used to manufacture various consumer products in China... and sold at Walmart!

2008-01-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

We need to be careful about what materials we use in our products...

JUST LOOK AT SOME OF THESE PICTURES OF WOMEN'S FEET AFTER WEARING SANDALS RECENTLY PURCHASED AT WALMART THAT WERE IMPORTED FROM CHINA...

I RECENTLY SPOKE WITH A SURFER WHO DEVELOPED SIMILAR CHEMICAL BURNING ON HIS INNER THIGHS, STOMACH, AND CHEST AFTER SURFING ON A BOARD MADE IN CHINA.

ALL THAT MONEY YOU ARE "SAVING" BY BUYING MASS PRODUCED "POPOUT" SURFBOARDS MAY COME BACK AND BITE YOU LATER ON IF YOU DEVELOP SIMILAR SYMPTOMS FROM USING PRODUCTS MADE IN CHINA...

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/flipflop.asp

Another one just shaped... 9'2" "Oceanslider" shaped by David Falkenau for Wayne @ Hill Street Cafe

2007-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

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 to is hardest, with the last 18" sharp as a straight razor.

I love pintails, so I went with a pintail.

This one will got a 10.5" box 7" up from the tail. I made it to have thw Thrailkill Twin set-up, but Wayne decided to go with a Single.

This is going to be glassed with Canary Yellow resin tint/pigment and finally glossed and polished.

I guess you can say this is my "Single Fin Yellow"!

Wayne is the Longhaired guy at Hill Street Cafe (with the Green Truck and Window Washing Business). He surfs this board at the Oceanside Pier all the time now.

9'2" "The Glide" shaped by David Falkenau

2007-12-21T23:49:00.000-08:00

Skip Frye Template traced from Chad Brienza's Frye.

Nose rocker: 4 1/4"

Tail rocker: 2 5/8"

Thickness: almost 3 1/8" at stringer but foiled out through the rest of the board and rails, so it doesn't seem as thick

60/40 Palm-of-hand-shaped rails

hard edge last 18"

2+1 Set-up (Frye Placement) 8" box 6 5/8" to 7" up from tail, plus 2 FCS plugs on each side parallel to and lined up with front edge of box.

Top-notch $400 glass job:

I went all out on this glass job... didn't cut any corners... laid it all out on the line!

Volan Cloth w/taped & cut laps

Resin Pinlines

Bottom & Rails - Opaque Red, White, Blue Resin Swirl

Top - Transparent Red, White, & Blue Resin Swirl

Black Pinlines

Gloss & Polish

It turned out to be a beautiful board. My dad wanted to ship it back home to Michigan when he saw it at my house... I sure wish I wasn't hurting for money then... I would have liked for him to have had it.

Stop the Slaughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-12-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

Stop the Slaughter!!!

In case you didn't know...

2007-11-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

I give piano lessons, at all levels. I specialize in southern blues rock and roll.

I also give shaping lessons.

I also tutor in English, and edit documents as well.

If you are interested in any of the above, please contact me on my cell:

619-757-0100

Dave

I WANT TO SHAPE YOUR NEXT SURFBOARD!!!!!!!

2007-11-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

I make custom surfboards (wood or foam; fiberglass or epoxy); fins; skate decks; nose & tail blocks; wood racks; wood board hangers; board straps; etc.

My shapes are all custom tailored to your needs.

I innovate templates from past and present cutting edge designs, as well as original templates and designs, fluid curves, and foils designed for speed, drive, flex, hold, release, trim, and glide!

My biggest influences are Skip Frye & Bill Thrailkill -- two masters of speed and trim in both small and large surf.

I got my start shaping boards out of necessity in the 80's. We didn't have surfshops to buy boards from where I grew up, so I salvaged old boards, broken boards, and became Grubby Clark's main surfboard blank customer in the Great Lakes Region.

I taught myself the trade through trial and error.

I have lived and surfed all over the world, and have owned and ridden a quiver of well-over 100 surfboards by various legendary shapers; all of which I studied, templated, and emulated early in my shaping career.

I know what works, and I apply my knowledge of air foils, hydrodynamics, and fluid dynamics to my own designs.

If you want a custom board made for you specifically, come by my shop or give me a call and we'll work something out.

Thanks for your support!

Sincerely,

David Vernon Falkenau

Artisan Surf Designs / Falkenau Surfboards & Fins
2658 State Street
Carlsbad, CA 92008
619-757-0100
info@artisansurfdesigns.com
http://www.artisansurfdesigns.blogspot.com

Quality, not quantity! Hand Shaped in the USA, NOT machined overseas!

SUPPORT SWAYLOCKS!

2007-11-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

If you haven't been to swaylocks.... you are missing the best board design forum on the planet!

DAVID FALKENAU LIVE! TONIGHT @ JAVA JONES, 9th & MARKET ST., Downtown, San Diego!!! Show Starts @ 7PM!!!!!

2007-11-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

If you are interested, take the 15 to down town or the I-5 to down town, get off on 10th and take it to Market St. Take a right onto Market and another Right on 9th, and you are right there... JAVA JONES. It is a child friendly coffee house, and music will be from 7-10PM, and I do not know what time I go on. There are 3 of us playing 40 minute slots, so I don’t know which I am playing.

JAVA JONES MUSIC, hosted by Matthew Blake, featuring, original music from David Falkenau (with Greg Stewart on percussion), Chad Cavanaugh, and Nathan Welden.

Thanks!

Hope to see you there!

-David Falkenau
619-757-0100

The Magic of Danny Hess

2007-10-27T23:08:00.000-07:00

Danny Hess Surfboards

Danny Hess is a green carpenter who turned his attention to hollow wood surfboards a few years ago. His professional woodworking skill and his skill as a top-level surfer at Ocean Beach were combined into a new craft. I've been fortunate to be able to watch some of the refining of his craft as he reached his current level of expertise, where he is making shortboards that weigh 8 pounds out of wood and epoxy. It is unquestionable that you will be amazed at the quality of the workmanship. As to the shapes, he has one of the best testers in the state in his own two feet. If you are at all interested, give him an email or ring, and check out some of his work.

The Making of a Custom Surfboard

A look at how a veteran craftsman builds a board with materials chosen to minimize environmental impact

By Jeffrey Gangemi

For the past eight years, Danny Hess, 31, a veteran surfboard shaper based in San Francisco, has been making surfboards out of natural materials to minimize their impact on the environment without sacrificing performance or aesthetics. Hess is one of a small but growing number of independent shapers finding increasing demand for these "cleaner" boards. In fact, a year and a half ago, Hess closed his environmental design firm and took on board-making full-time. Today, he uses wood harvested from forests that are then replanted, and a kind of recyclable foam called EPS, in a hand-built construction process that he says makes his boards last for "generations, instead of a few months." The starting price is $1,100, compared to $400 for a low-end commercial model.

Built to Last

Each Danny Hess surfboard is built using wood, such as poplar, which he chooses because it is grown locally and replanted. Hess says his boards have a lifespan far longer than a conventional surfboard-as long as 10 years as opposed to a few months-because the wood does not fatigue and break down the way the foam in a traditional board does.

Making the Mold

The first step in the process is building what Hess calls the perimeter frame. Each perimeter frame is constructed using a system of molds and templates, which creates the board's rail outline, foil, and rocker. Using pneumatic pressure, Hess creates molds that become the board's outline, and glues cork and wood into the mold that creates the frame.

Trade Secrets

The second step is fashioning the interior frame, which is made from pieces of EPS foam. The process of making a Hess interior frame is proprietary, but it involves shaping the top and bottom contours of the board, and inserting pieces of foam to fill out the open spaces between the perimeter frame.

Serious Recycling

Since Hess uses foam in pieces as opposed to a single blank, he often has extra pieces of foam, which he sends back to the EPS foam company to be recycled and used in future foam blanks.

Giving It Shape

Hess puts all the pieces of the interior and perimeter frame together. He shapes the whole board to create the deck and bottom contours, using a plane and vices.

Organic Outerwear

Next, Hess creates a wood skin for the deck and bottom of the board out of a lightweight, strong wood such as poplar, birch, or vertical grain fir.

In a Vacuum

Hess then bonds the wood skin to the EPS foam and perimeter frame to create a strong, unified structure. The bonding process takes about an hour, and occurs within a vacuum bag, which helps bond the thin wood skin to the interior and external frames. The process of creating a Hess "blank" takes about five times longer than the traditional method.

Hand Shaping

Next, Hess shapes the wooden rails. This is the point in the process where the specific shape of the board is created. It's considered the most critical step for creating a board with optimal performance. The rail-shaping process takes Hess between one and two hours, depending on the shape and size of the board.

Final Steps

Hess sends the board to a local laminator (referred to in the trade as a "glasser") to be coated in a strong, epoxy-based resin. Hess uses epoxy because it emits low volatile organic compounds and doesn't require solvents for cleanup. After it has been glassed, the board is finished and sent to its new owner, who will pay between $1,100 and $1,500 on average.

Hess Surfboards

Danny Hess is a master woodworker and native Californian. He makes beautiful boards from sustainable materials including Poplar, EPS and Cork.

Daniel Hess is a true craftsman who designs and builds beautiful, strong, high performance surfboards. His use of recyclable and sustainable materials alongside a design methodology emphasizing the strength and longevity of each surfboard, results in a process that has far less environmental impact than that of a conventional polyurethane / polyester surfboard.

Integrated into the design of each board are materials with a lower environmental impact such as sustainably harvested wood, cork - a renewable resource, EPS foam which is the only recyclable surfboard foam and an epoxy which emits very low Volatile Organic Compounds and does not require solvents for clean up.

Each Hess board uses one half the fibreglass of a conventional surfboard, while remaining far stronger due to its design, the materials used and its construction. And, the use of wood in Hess boards avoids the more rapid fatigue and break down that conventional foam boards suffer, ensuring that each Hess board has a long and useful life.

Hess Pacheco Quad

Pacheco Quad - Beautifully crafted by Danny and inspired by the outlines of Rich Pavel and Manny. Made with sustainable materials.

Hess Pacheco Quad

HESS SURFBOARDS - PACHECO QUAD

Inspired by the beautiful outlines of Rich Pavel and Manuel Caro of Mandala, this quad fin outline utilizes streamlined curves, pronounced hip through the tail, and a more progressive foil and entry/tail rocker. These elements work together to create a board that responds to a full range of surf and really comes to life in ever changing beach break conditions

Rails: Poplar/Cork

Skin: Birch

Fins: Vector/Quad/Twin/Keel

Dimensions: n/a
Weight: n/a

The Bite

Wanna listen to the other flock of seagulls? Grab your graphic-print skinny tie, and head to the beach. But first, paddle on over to SF surfboard shaper Danny Hess. This eco-conscious surfer creates sleek-looking, custom-made boards by hand from reclaimed and sustainably-harvested wood, renewable cork, recyclable foam, and epoxy that doesn't off-gas VOCs. Set up a meeting, and he'll design a board from scratch that fits your needs - shapes range from traditional twin keel fish to maverick guns. And while prices run a few hundred bucks more than your average board, epoxy boards can last up to five times longer than conventional ones, meaning fewer surfboards end up landfills. They're also nontoxic, so you'll be riding new waves without polluting them.

Year Built: 2006
Dimensions: 5'6
Shaper: Daniel Hess
Manufacturer: Hess Surfboards
Location: San Francisco Ca.

Here is my most recent Hollow wood/ EPS interior frame fish. A sleeker outline working with the vector quad fin setup to create a high performance board.Single Concave bottom. Poplar/ cork rails, poplar skin and a 1lb. Eps frame. This one comes in at 7.5 lbs.

Hess Surfboards

Danny Hess surfs Ocean Beach, San Francisco. A beach break with a reputation for holding a swell up to whatever size you can personally manage and making even the strongest surfers sulk all the way home. It’s a fast hollow wave. On big days most people are lucky to even make it outside. There are stories of Ocean Beach locals running stairs and doing pull-ups in preparation for the cold and unforgiving winter swells. It’s here that Danny has proven that his hollow wood boards are not just a throwback to traditional shapes but future-sleds, boards capable of speeding around sections and drawing clean lines before disappearing into the cavernous beach break barrels, boards that will do so year after year and then eventually turn back to dust.

Danny is not new to green construction methods. As a green building contractor in the Bay Area Danny was familiar with the ins and outs of sustainability. A passion for surfing and woodworking eventually launched him into a full-fledged board building lifestyle. Danny combines perimeter rail technology with EPS spine and ribs and wraps the boards in Epoxy. His boards look like fine furniture. But how do they work? The photos on his site and the ones provided here for us by Erin Kunkle are the proof. From cold Ocean Beach barrels to blue Indonesian perfection, Danny’s boards seem to fit, fly and flex perfectly.

One striking aspect of Hess’s approach is his outright commitment to making a product with environmental ethics in mind. He is clear about the materials he uses and makes sure that longevity is part of his surfboard’s characteristics. One of the first people to respond to our request for an interview, Danny was stoked about our plans to explore sustainably minded surf products. After some time we finally bring you this interview. Check out his boards at www.hesssurfboards.com

Also check the new blog at www.hesssurfboards.blogspot.com

Q. Please tell us a little about yourself and how Hess Surfboards came to be.

A. First off let me thank you for starting this website and inviting me to participate. The evolution of Hess Surfboards has been a pretty organic process. I began making my own boards when I was around 16 and have become more and more committed to it since. My original motivation for making boards is the same now as it was when I began- to make a stronger, longer lasting, more functional surfboard.

My first 30 or so boards were made from traditional PU/PE materials, but when I began making a living as a green builder/ designer about 8 years ago and moving towards a more sustainable way of living, I became very motivated to build a surfboard with far less environmental impact. I spent just about all of my free time when I wasn’t surfing or working on clients homes developing the fundamentals of my technology and method for building these boards. I never doubted that wood was the best material to use. I was very familiar with it, nothing can do what it does and I had established a lot of great sources for sustainably harvested wood through the work I was already doing. The first board took me over 160 hrs to build, and each generation since has taken far less time, been far lighter, and much stronger. It has been a continuous process of trying many different ways of putting all of the elements together to get better results.

The last couple years I feel that I’ve come to a refined point where I am no longer making these dramatic changes in the construction of each board. I feel very confident that the makeup of each board, as they are now, is what I’ve been working towards for these years. It never occurred to me in the beginning that I would be building these boards for a living. My motivation has always been a personal one. At first I began building these boards for a few local Ocean Beach surfers that were interested and over the last seven years it has slowly evolved in to building boards for people all over the world and it’s how I now make a living.

Q. In some of my research on surfing forums I have encountered surfers who think of the idea of green surfing as being “hippy lovin, tree huggin, soy drinking” rubbish. Essentially the kind of lackadaisical attitude that mass media assigns the surf world. How do you think this point of view can change? Have you experienced this kind of banter in your work?

A. “Go shape a pickle if you want a green surfboard”. That was always my favorite comment when I first began posting my “green” surfboards and ideas online. A lot of people seem to think that you need to sacrifice a boards’ performance to build a board that has less environmental impact. I think the opposite is true. It is totally possible to build a healthier surfboard that lasts far longer and performs far better than the conventional boards that the majority of surfers are riding today. This has been my main motivation in building and developing the technology that goes into each of my boards.

When I began selling my wood surfboards for a living, unfortunately clients were not coming to me because they wanted a surfboard that was better for the environment. Now that is the motivation behind a large number of the orders I get. I do think there is a growing level of awareness in the surfing world. Clark’s closure forced people think about where their surfboards come from. Patagonia and the Malloy brothers are certainly having a positive impact, and websites like this one are now finding audiences where there wasn’t before. I truly feel that we are at the beginning of a larger acceptance and awareness by the surfing population that the idea of living in a more sustainable way is good and maybe even cool. I believe it is inevitable for each surfer to, at some point, to look at their very close relationship with the ocean and draw the conclusion that it is something that they need to actively protect.

Q. Part of beginning a dialog about sustainability involves understanding what the concept is exactly and how it relates to surfing. What does sustainability mean to you and how do you apply it in your work?

A. My definition of true sustainability is the unaltered natural environment functioning in perfect balance as nature intended it to be. Examples of this are certainly rare in today’s world, and becoming rarer each day. In my everyday life I try to look at it as an ongoing process of moving towards a greater balance. Actively finding ways to decrease my negative environmental impact in all areas of my life and being thoughtful about the resources I use.

Q. It seems to me that maybe we need a new aesthetic. Your boards are hand crafted and finished beautifully. And the work that goes into them is a lot different than say, buying a close tolerance blank and shaping the rails. Do think that there is a renaissance of craftsmanship and artistry in surfing right now?

A. There have certainly always been truly great craftsman building surfboards from all sorts of materials and not caring about how much money they will make or how long it will take to make a board. I think that rather than just a renaissance of craftsmanship we are seeing the evolution of the surfboard really beginning to accelerate again. The vacuum caused by Clark’s closure has really allowed for craftsman building alternative, non-mainstream, types of surfboards to come out of their caves, receive a bit more acceptance from the surfing world, and really explore the possibilities of what they are building. On top of that there seems to be a growing number of surfers that are open to trying alternative shapes and fin setups, as well as valuing and appreciating a surfboard that is made by hand. The combination of these things makes for a really exciting time in surfing and the evolution of the surfboard.

Q. Thanks so much for your time Danny. Any last words or thoughts you’d like to leave our readers with?

A. A wise friend and mentor said to me that a truly great surfboard is one that seamlessly blends art with science. The point where the two become blurred is what I love about a well built hand made surfboard. It is the thing that makes a magic board and what makes a well crafted, hand made surfboard something beyond a product or widget. It is definitely what keeps me motivated to continue improving and developing the boards I am building. Many thanks.

Hess Rail Blend

Future classic: Surfing legend Dan Malloy calls his 5-foot-10 Danny Hess surfboard “the fastest I’ve ever ridden.” And not only is it fast, it’s politically correct: Hess, an Ocean Beach regular, is making a fine art of creating high-performance, environmentally sound boards. Instead of fragile, toxic fiberglass, he works with sustainably harvested wood and cork and recyclable foam. His fishes, quads, and guns have the life span of the old balsa single-fins and the speed and agility of modern shapes. “They’ll last about 20 years,” says Hess. “The only place I don’t guarantee them is Mavericks.”

Danny Hess, of Hess Surfboards, has been using wood, expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is recyclable, and an epoxy resin that releases 80 percent fewer VOCs into the air than the standard polyester resin, to make boards for six years. EPS is the most widely used alternative to polyurethane foam, and it is similar to the Styrofoam used to make beach coolers. The boards are as light and even stronger than traditional ones, but some surfers have complained that EPS boards aren’t as responsive to their movements. Hess’s boards are encased in sustainably-harvested or reclaimed wood. “The combination of the materials I use produce the strongest, most functional and environmentally-conscious surfboard I can build right now,” says Hess. While it is an improvement on conventional board-making methods, it’s petroleum-based, so it won’t become a long-term solution. “Chemicals are still involved, and I’m always searching for better alternatives that release fewer toxins into the atmosphere,” Hess says. “What I really want to see is a bio-based, EPS-quality foam.”

Some other woodsmiths and master craftsmen worth checking out…

· Dick Brewer; "Plumeria Surfboards", Hanalei, Hawaii; www.plumeriasurfboards.com

· David Falkenau; “Artisan Surf Designs: Falkenau Surfboards & Fins”, Carlsbad, CA next to Legends Surf Shop on State Street; www.artisansurfdesigns.blogspot.com

· Daniel Hess; “Hess Surfboards”, San Francisco, California; www.hesssurfboards.com

· Paul Jensen; “Surfboards by Paul Jensen”, Lacey, WA; www.hollowsurfboards.com

· Dirk Langer; “Vintage Wooden Surfboards”, Cayucos, CA;www.vintagewoodensurfboards.com

· Roy Stewart; "Power Surfboards"; New Zealand; www.olosurfer.com

· Tom Wegener; “Wegener Surfboards”, Noosa, Queensland, Australia; www.tomwegenersurfboards.com

Artisan Surf Designs will be relocating to Carlsbad next month!

2007-10-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

Artisan Surf Designs and Falkenau Surfboards will be making its new home in Carlsbad next month! My good friend Jeff Warner of Warner Design Co. and Legends Surf Shop located at 2658 State Street has offered me a shaping bay attached to Legends Surf Shop. Now you'll be able to come on in, shop around for a new or used board, and can even watch me as I shape your new surfboard!

Once again, that's 2658 State Street, Carlbad.

-Dave

Custom Surfboard Bags by Melissa Falkenau

2007-10-02T23:52:00.001-07:00

Custom Surfboard Bags
by Melissa

Heavy Duty Canvas Fabric
Any Color or Pattern

$10 Per Board Foot
Any Size / Any Shape

760-500-7303

alilmiss717@yahoo.com
www.artisansurfdesigns.blogspot.com

Here are some other "Phin" concepts by David Falkenau

2007-10-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

Check these out too... I can't tell you what kind of wood these are because I salvaged it, but I will be foiling them next week.

They are all base on the original Phil Edwards reverse fin from 1960-61.

I'd be glad to make some more for anyone interested.

- David Falkenau
Artisan Surf Designs / Falkenau Fins

The Mini-Phil Edwards Reverse designed by David Falkenau

2007-10-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

Check this out. It is my scaled down miniature version of the Phil Edwards Reverse from 1960-1961. I obtained the original from Bill Thrailkill and decided to redesign Phil's concept, but apply it to a modern fish or thruster or quad or 5-fin or 7-fin set-up. I've made a series of fish keel pairs from the template you see in the pictures as well as tri's, quads, 5's and 7's. I have large single cutaways for longboards as well.

I let Jerry Ingham show a pair of these that I made to Jon Wildfong at Futures Fins, but haven't gotten them back yet, so don't be surprised if you see this template in the lineup on the Futures website.

I call them the Mini-Phil reverse (MPR 5.5). Futures may decide to use "PE" or "PE-mini" or "MPE" or something like that, but don't let them fool you; I came up with these fins, not them! Donald Takayama has done his own take on Phil's "Reverse D" fin as well and they look nice!

Phil should get the credit. It's about time he is recognized for his state of the art design concepts. He was definitely before his time!

Anyway, I'm putting this template on my site as proof that I came up with this mini version. So before this concept gets lost in the shuffle, I want to stake my claim! I've learned to protect my designs from watching so many ripoffs in this industry!

If you want me to make you some out of baltic birch, just give me a holler!

I designed this version on February 10th, 2007 after Bill Thrailkill gave me the original larger single fin / skeg template.

Remember where you saw 'em first!

By the way, thanks Bill and thanks Phil!!!!!!!

-Dave Falkenau
Artisan Surf Designs / Falkenau Fins

Gavin's new board and Bella trying to figure out what this sand and ocean thing is all about!

2007-09-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

7'2" Quad for sale... $600 and its yours!!!

2007-09-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Check out this little bugger that I found today in Del Mar, Dog Beach, CA. It's a Horn Shark.

2007-09-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

The horn shark, Heterodontus francisci, is a bullhead shark. It can reach a size of 122 cm and is brown with black spots. Its range is from central California to the Gulf of California, Mexico, and probably also in Ecuador and Peru. It is mostly nocturnal and appears sluggish in the daytime. It can bite if it is harassed.

Its habitat includes rocky reefs, kelp beds, sand flats, crevices, and caverns in a depth range from 2 to 150 m. Adults tend to return to the same resting spot every day. It feeds on invertebrates, primarily sea urchins, crabs, probably abalone, and other fish.

The horn shark is oviparous, laying 12–14 cm (5 inches) long kelp-colored spiral-shaped eggs that may float up on beach shores.

Gigging at Borders with Terry Matsuoka, Leucadia, CA

2007-09-14T15:09:00.001-07:00

Wade Lawson's Reno Template Big Wave Gun... I miss riding this board... bills claimed this one! I guess I'll just have to shape another one one day..

2007-09-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Here's my Reno Template Big Wave Gun. It now belongs to "Big Wave Wade" up near Mavericks.

Single Fin Box.

Down Railer.

Hugs the face, and gets you out of the Danger Zone!

No comment on the spray can paint job......

I just received a phone message from Wade. He paddled out at heavy mavericks on this board, made the drop, made his bottom turn, came up the wave face, prepared for his shacking, took the lip full on and rolled like a ragdoll in a washing machine with his board into the boneyards.

He suffered a broken back, damaged vertebrae, a collapsed and punctured lung, torn liver, and a broken leg. Believe it or not, the Big Wave Gun made it out unscathed... so I guess I can say my shapes have been proven to hold up at MAVS.

His comment to me was that Mav's is "REAL"... and that it was worth every bit of the thrashing.

I have to give Props to WADE!!! There aren't too many surfers who would take a thrashing at MAVS, call me up on the phone from his hospital bed, leave a message on my voicemail explaining the thrashing he took, and place an order for another board!!!!!!!

Thats true dedication!

Here are some pics of 3 boards I just shaped:

2007-08-31T00:42:00.000-07:00

One is a 4'11" Tadpole with an acid fire resin smear blending into black pin lines, blue rails, and a blue bottom... set up as an FCS tri-fin for my son Gavin. It's his first surfboard... Lucky kid... I couldn't imagine getting a brand new custom surfboard made by my dad as my very first board! The 4'11" Tadpole is a Tri (FCS) set-up; Deep Ocean Blue Bottom & Rails; Red/Orange/Yellow Resin Swirl Deck; Black Pinlines; Glossed & Polished finish; Leash Loop - A Great Kids Board!

The Center one is a 5'6" Fish that I shaped custom for Delco Hagan. He wanted a vintage looking fish with thicker rails and more volume starting with a beaked nose into a traditional fish template complimented by a pulled in rear-end that measures 9" pin to pin... and my own secret fin set up. This board was made to fly with style.

The longer one is a 7'2" Quad Section Connector, extremely thin and foiled out for maximum drive and performance. It is 7'1"-7'2" depending on whether you measure it from the deck or bottom. It's a Section Connector Quad (Futures Boxes); Deep Ocean Blue Bottom & Rails; blue Deck; Black Pin lines; Glossed & Polished Finish.

I don't mess around in my shaping bay... I put over 20 years of my own research to the test whenever I come up with a design concept. My boards don't look like anything else out there when you get right up close to them. I have things going on in these boards that most shapers would scoff at on their first glance, until they understood why I did what I did, and then actually had the chance to ride the board and realize for themselves that I actually know what the heck I'm doing. Not bad for a kid from Mishawaka, Indiana, huh? Yeah, everybody laughed at me when I told them I was going to grow up and open up a surfshop with my own surfboard label. Now they can ride my equipment, knowing I was dedicated, and not just a day-dreamer. I used to get in trouble for reading Surfer Magazine in Algebra class, but little did Mr. Urbanski realize, my brain was working over time applying algebraic equations to geometric theory and quantum physics... man, I wanted to design a board that would send you off to another dimension!
I'm not saying my boards are the best. I'm not even saying they are better than this guys or that girls boards. All I'm saying is that my boards work, and they to what I designed them to do.

Try one out sometime, and you'll want one for yourself. Trust me. At a very young age I dedicated my life to studying and applying board design to take surfing into a realm surfers have never seen before! I got into it when I was young, and applied it right away. I wanted to still be young enough and in good enough shape to get out there and ride my boards, pushing them to the limit, refining my theory, and applying it to new designs.

I have been studying design concepts of Robert Wilson Simmons, and I want to make an under 6' version of his single concave spoon... imagine that!

2007-08-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

I'd like to use these Baltic Birch and European Plane Burl keels that I foiled on one of these...
This is Bob Simmon's Single Concave Twin Spoon.

Five Dead Dolphins Shot to death between Carlsbad and Oceanside.

2007-08-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

10News.com

Related To Story

Five Dead Dolphins With Bullet Wounds Wash Ashore

POSTED: 1:23 pm PDT June 15, 2007

UPDATED: 5:56 pm PDT June 15, 2007

SAN DIEGO -- Harassing or killing dolphins is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, a federal law that protects seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales and other marine mammals.The first dead dolphin washed ashore with lacerations on its pectoral fin. The next showed up with a fatal bullet wound. Within a week, there were three more with bullets in their heads. Federal officials investigating the five dolphin deaths in San Diego County said they've never seen this many wash ashore with bullet wounds. Nationwide, the agency usually gets one report of a dolphin shooting a year. The last time San Diego reported such a death was five years ago. Before that there hadn't been one in the area since the 1960s. The long-beaked common dolphins were all discovered between Carlsbad State Beach and Oceanside Harbor between May 29 and June 5. Photos showed their normally sleek gray skin mottled and stained with blood from the bullet wounds. "This was so unusual," said Kerri Danil, a National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration biologist who worked on the necropsies. "With each one I thought that was going to be it, so I was really surprised when we got other calls with injuries indicative of bullet wounds." Necropsies revealed that the dolphins, which were healthy with bellies full of fish, may have been shot at the same time with the same gun. Four had between one and three bullets of the same caliber in the same part of their heads. "It usually turns out to be a fisherman," said NOAA spokesman Mark Oswell, adding there have been cases when fishermen take out their frustrations on dolphins and other mammals that eat their catch. This time, however, investigators are stumped. The agency is offering up to $2,500 for information on the deaths. If caught, the perpetrator could face civil penalties of up to $12,000 or a criminal fine of up to $20,000, as well as jail time. "It's a horrendous thing that happened," Oswell said. "That someone would go out there and shoot four dolphins ." Anyone with information concerning the incident is urged to call NOAA investigators in San Diego at 619-557-5494 or the agency's 24-hour hot line at 800-853-1964.

Wheeew! That spin class was great!

2007-08-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

Bella Blue

2007-08-22T22:10:00.001-07:00

My little surfer girl...