Welcome to Artisan Surf Designs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HAND-SHAPER!

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

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

Models I currently offer:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Magic Sam" (not to be confused with the Nat Young Magic Sam...completely different)
(This is the ultimate "Big Guy" short board!)
sizes: 6'4" 6'5" 6'6" 6'7" 6'8" 6'9" 6'10" 6'11" 7'0"
At 20 1/2" Wide x 2 3/8" Thick, this baby can hold up to the heavies...double barrel...serious vee... killer!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God Love The Fish!

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

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

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

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

Aloha & Mahalo,

-- David Falkenau, BS, NREMT-B

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

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

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

Hollow Wood Boards average $1200 - $3500

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

You automatically save 25% by ordering a board through me or any other local hand-shaper!
If you want me to shape you a board, this is how it works:
1) Look at the blank catalog and choose the blank you want me to make your board out of. Pick one that is as close to the final shape as possible, unless I have specified a specific blank for a specific shape or model.
2) Go buy the blank and bring it to me (or send me the money and I'll pick the blank up at Mitch's in Solana beach for an added fee of $10-$25 to cover my gas and my time).
3) Send me half of the total board price so I can get started on your board (I do 1/2 down deposit and 1/2 remaining balance upon pickup):
Legends Surf Shop
c/o David Falkenau, BS, NREMT-B, FF-EMT, Teacher
2658 State Street
Carlsbad, CA 92008
4) Tell me if you want a Traditional Polyester Resin Glass job by Luiz Masuzzo or Mauricio Avila or a Keahana Epoxy Resin Glass job (see the bottom of this section for Keahana's pricing).
5) I'll contact Luiz Masuzzo or Maurico Avila (my glassers) to confirm your price, and will get back to you to confirm... same process if it is done at Keahana... I will just have to confirm with Raul Espinosa, and then give you a call.
6) Once we (you and I) dial in all the details I will shape your board and send it off to the glasser.
7) When your board is complete, you can pick it up at my shop or at Legends, and you can pay me the remaining balance (1/2 of the total price). If your board requires shipping, you are responsible for any added costs that go into the packaging, insurance, shipping, and handling of your new board... your choice of carrier!

BLANKS:
I use U.S. Blanks exclusively!
Click here to see the catalog!

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

Contact them for blank pricing:
Mitch's Solana Beach
363 North Hwy 101
Solana Beach, CA 92075
858-481-1354

SHAPING:
While considering my Shaping Fee, keep in mind, I put my heart, sweat, and soul into the shaping of your board. It is a passion and a love affair between my desire to design and build a work of functional art, my eyes, my planer, my hands, and the blank. I am a proponent of the Great American Dream... so help keep this dream alive and please don't ask me for a "Bro-deal".
$190-$266... 0’0” up to 6’11”

$267-$342... 7’0” up to 8’11”

$343-$380... 9’0” up to 9’11”

$381-$418... 10’0” up to 10’11”

$418-456... 11’0” up to 11’11”

$457-$494... 12’0” up to 12’11”

$495-$532... 13’0” up to 13’11”

Glassing:

Up to 6’11”………………………………………$200

7’0” to 7’11”……………………………………$225

8’0” to 8’11”……………………………………$250

9’0” to 9’11”……………………………………$275

10’0” to 10’11”…………………………………$300

11’0” to 11’11”…………………………………$325

12’0” to 12’11”…………………………………$350

13’0” to 13’11”…………………………………$375

Base Glassing Price (above) Includes:
1) Lamination with “E” or “D” cloth (1 layer 4 or 6 oz. bottom and 2 layer 4 or 6 oz. deck

2) Logos

3) Hot Coat

4) Sanded Hot Coat Finish

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

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

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

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

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

2+1 Combo (add $25)

Quads (add $40)

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

Glass-ons ($10 - $50)

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

Glassing Alternative Options:

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

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

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

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

Color Options:

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

Tints & Pigments:

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

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

Inlay color on deck or bottom ($30)

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

Finish Options:

Acrylic Finish ($10)

Polished Acrylic ($25)

Sanded Gloss

$35 - $45 under 8’0”

$50 over 8’0”

Gloss & Polish

$45 - $55 for boards under 8’0”

$60 for boards 8’0” up to 10’0”

ADD $5 per 6” over 10’

California Residents add 7.75% sales tax to your overall board cost! I shape under Warner Enterprises / Legends Surf Shop's license.
As of October 2009, my polyester boards are glassed by Luis Masuzzo at M&M, in Oceanside!!!!!!!
I also use KEAHANA Triaxial EPS Epoxy Systems if you want EPOXY:
- Shortboard Epoxy Glass Job... $300
(Keahana Blank & Glass Job...$375)
- Fun boards and boards up to 8'0"... $375
(Keahana Blank & Glass Job...$475)
- Longboards and boards up to 10'0"... $450
(Keahana Blank & Glass Job...$575)
All Keahana boards are priced with hot coat and gloss.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Important Annoucement:

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!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

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

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

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Demo...

Good times!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

An Old Epiphany On A New Day

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.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

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...

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

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My induction into the National Surfing and Wrestling Hall of Fame is something I will never forget!

National Surfing/Wrestling
"Iron Man"
Hall-of-Fame

Many similarities exist between wrestling and surfing: strength, endurance, balance, flexibility, individuality, and self determination. Established in 1998, this "Ironman" Hall-of-Fame recognizes those athletes who have excelled through either competition, coaching, manufacturing or other contributions to both sports. Those nominated must have made a significant contribution or achieved a high level of excellence in at least one sport.

NAME	SURFING	What/Where	WRESTLING	What/Where
Frank Addleman	Dewey Webber Surfboards/Jack Haley Surfbaords	Redondo Beach/Seal Beach	JCAA/Pacific Coast Championships 2nd/NCAA Qual	El Camino College/LB State/Coac - Santa Anna College
Bob Anderson	World Games 2nd/National Place Finisher	Southern California/Maui	National Champion/Olympic Trials Champion/Coach
Chuck Barfoot	Surf Team Member/Surfboard Designer	Greg Noll Surf Team, Koseff's Surf Shop, Beach Heaven, NJ	High School Champion	Southern Regional HS, Manahawkin, NJ
Raul Duarte	Surfing Coach	Golden West College, Huntington Beach, CA	Coach/Wrestler	Cal. State. Univ. Long Beach
Sam Dusatko	Pro-Surfer/Manufacturer/Judge/Surfing Coach	Santa Fe HS, CA, Sunset Beach, CA	Coach/Wrestler	Norwalk HS/Cerritos College, CA
Dave Falkenau	Surf Coach/Shop Owner/Shaper	Army-Navy Academy HS, Carlesbad, CA	Coach/Wrestler	Mishawaka HB, IN, Ball State Univ, IN
Bruce Gabrielson	AAA Ranking/WSA Director/ National Place Finisher/Manufacturer/Coach	HBSA President, Wave Trek Surf Team, Huntington Beach, CA	Coach/National Place Finisher/AAU GR & FS Grand Nat Champ	Southern Maryland WC/Cal. State Univ. Long Beach
John Geyer	Big Wave Pioneer/Pro Windsurfer/AAA Ranking	Surfboards Hawaii Surf Team Newport Beach, CA/ SOS Surf, Western AU	National Place Finisher/HI AAU State Champ/AU Champ	Cal. State Univ. Long Beach/US Army Wrestling Team
Sam Hammer	Professional Shortboarder	Dan Taylor Surfboards Surf Team, Lavallette, NJ	State Qualifier	Point Pleasant Beach HS
Dru Harrison	National Champion	Bing & Petrillo Surf Team, Hermosa Beach, CA	State Qualifier	Mira Costa HS
Jimmy Hogan	World Champion Longboarder	San Clemente, CA	Varsity Starter	San Clemente HS
Roger Holden	Competitor/ Pioneer Designer/ Surfboard Manufacturer	Island East Surfboards by Holden Manahawkin, NJ	NJ State Placewinner, Coach/Level I Official	Wildcat WC/ Southern Regional HS in NJ
Cy Lucas	Manufacturer/Club President	Seabright Surf Shop/Big Stick Surf Club, Santa Cruz, CA	Coach/National Placefinisher	San Jose State University/San Francisco Olympic Club
Jim Lucas	Surfrider Foundation Director	Team Captain, Da Bull/Greg Noll Surf Team/ Big Stick Surf Club, Santa Cruz, CA	Coach/National Placefinisher	Olympic WC/San Jose State University
Terry McCann	Surfrider Foundation	National Chairman	Olympic Gold Medalist	University of Iowa
Pat McGrath	Surfboard Shaper/Manufacturer	Island East Surfboards, Manahawkin, NJ	New Jersey HS State Champion/USAW All-American	Wildcat WC/Columbia University
Adam Ngelozzi	Beach Patrol/Waterman	Long Beach Island, NY	Wrestling Coach/2x Division III National Qualifier	Barnegat High School, NJ
Dan O'Cone	Beach Patrol/Waterman/Surf Coach	Jenkinson's Beach, NJ	Wrestling Coach/3x Division III All-American/Coach	Lavalette HS, NJ
Pat O'Hare	Shaper, Shop Owner	Cocoa Beach, FL	CIF Wrestling Champion	Mira Costa HS, CA
Edwin Rooney	Surfing Pioneer/Lifeguard	Jones Beach, NY	NCAA All-American/National AAU Runner-up	Syracuse University
Shannon Sofield	Surf Team Member	Wave Riding Vehicles New Jersey	NCAA Conference Runner-up, Varsity Coach Princeton University, 2x State GR Champion	Princeton University
Dewey Weber	Surfboard Manufacturer/Surfing Walk-of-Fame Pioneer	Dewey Weber Surfboards, Hermosa Beach, CA	3x California State Champion	Mira Costa HS

This Hall-of-Fame not only recognizes several outstanding dual sport contributors, but is also intended to raise community awareness of just how close surfing and wrestling really are.
Now that female wrestling is on the rise, we expect to have a nomination from this gender in the near future. Nominations to this list can be made at any time.
Nominations will be acted on by all available members of the current list solely on merits.

"Both sports require so much individual commitment. They require one to expose all their soul to all who watch. Wins and defeat are experinced alone in the public eye. Both require a certain pain tolerance and will to not give-up, whether looking at the lights while fighting off your back or paddling back out against a huge set. Keep up the good work." -- Jim Zimny

Note: this site featured in Swell.com on April 21, 2001.

Here's the story behind how I got my start shaping surfboards...

Artisan Surf Designs Bio Section:

David Vernon Falkenau, BS, NREMT-B

Born: February 4^th, 1974 (Guttenberg, Iowa)

Years Shaping: 26 years off and on since I was a 10 year old grom in 1984 (Board #1 was a Tom Blake Kook Box; Board #2 was a Malibu Balsa).

Growing up in between the 1970’s and 1990’s, I had seen poor “Hollywood” examples of surfers and surfing on TV and in movies – Speed Buggy; Wonderbug; Magic Mongo; Scooby Doo; The Brady Bunch Hawaii episode where Greg wears that dumb tiki amulet around his neck, goes surfing and almost drowns; North Shore; Under The Boardwalk; Surf Nazis Must Die; Point Break; and other misleading examples. As a kid, however, I didn’t know that these were all staged, kooked-out examples of surfers and surfing. None of that mattered to me at the time. All I knew is that for some reason, I was hooked on “surfing” before I had ever even tried to surf. According to the glossary in the back of the book Surfer! by D.S. Halacy, Jr. (1965), that would make me a hodad or a kook. Therefore, I knew I had better get to the ocean, learn to surf, and get there fast!

Back in 1983-1984, at the young age of nine or ten, I bought a discarded copy of Surfer! , written by D.S. Halacy, Jr. (1965), for five cents from the Beiger Elementary School library in Mishawaka, Indiana. I was in the fourth grade. I remember vividly how the dark green spine & hardcover and the bright white “Surfer!” text had really caught my eye.

In 1984, my mom bought me a copy of Surfing, The Ultimate Pleasure, by Leonard Lueras. I read that thing from cover to cover, wore out the binding, and dog-eared several of the pages for my own reference.

I remember one time when my mom was getting ready to go to a bowling banquet with her friend, Judy Cleland. I was in the bathroom, carving away at a plastic surfboard (from a Fisher-Price toy surfer van) with a razor knife from my dad’s tool box. I didn’t like the shape of the board so I tried to “re-shape” it into a “Standard Issue Round Tail” like the one I saw on page 209 in the back of Lueras’s book. That’s what people were riding the year I was born (1974), so that’s the shape I was going for!

I dreamed up my first surfboard label in 1984 – “Kumu Surfboards -- In Memory of Bob Simmons,” after reading about the red fish used in ceremonial surfboard building, and after reading about Bob Simmons’ death at Windansea. I drew up some logos, and drew up various surfboard templates over the years based on different combinations of the ones I saw throughout Lueras’s book. Eventually, I added another business moniker -- “DF Surf Stix” in 1987, then “Falkenau Surfboards” in 1992, put those templates to use, and eventually started “Artisan Surf Designs” with Jerry "Da Penguin" Ingham in 2006. It's funny how time repeats itself. The first influences I had in board building stemmed from Tom Blake and Bob Simmons back in 1984. Today, more people have glommed onto the designs of Bob Simmons than I can shake a stick at. Once Richard Kenvin and Joe Bauguess revisited the designs of their hometown hero (Simmons) every present day shaper from San Diego to San Francisco t0 Montauk to New Jersey to France has tried to shape a "Mini-Simmons" or a "Sim-Fish". As for Tom Blake, all it took was Paul Jensen coming up with his own modern process for building hollow wood boards like Tom Blake's, advertising it online with some of the most beautiful examples in existence, and the world of surfboard shapers took over from there (with a lot of help from Swaylocks.com). It just goes to show that once something is designed, it doesn't just stop there. Look at the Ancient Hawaiians and their Olo's, Paipo's, and Alaia's. Tom and John Wegener brought them back to life, and now we can find an alaia just about anywhere waves break! It's happening once again with the latest craze of Stand Up Paddle Surfing. Recently, I saw someone Stand Up Paddling a replica of an ancient Chilean reed raft called a Caballito de Totora.

I read Surfer! , by D.S. Halacy Jr., cover to cover for the first time in 1985 and immediately identified with the main character, Pete Marlin. We had too much in common. Throughout my life, I kept the story line of this novel in the back of my mind. In a way, the character of Pete Marlin vicariously came to life through me, as I planned out my lifetime goal to move away to the ocean, learn to surf, and live out my dream of being a “surfer.”

When I was twelve years old, in the sixth grade (’86-’87 school year), I knew a surfer/skater by the name of Ryan Rhodts. Ryan and his mom used to live in California, where he learned to surf at a young age. He walked up to me one day in the Beiger School library and said, “Dude, check out this magazine. I found it on the stand in Pit-Stop U.S.A. over at Scottsdale Mall… It’s all about surfing!” I grabbed the fresh copy of Surfer (FEB 1987, VOL. 28, NO. 2 - $3.50) from his hand and sifted through the pages wide-eyed, opened-mouth, with my chin nearly smacking the floor. It was only a matter of seconds before I was standing there begging him to let me borrow it. I finally convinced Ryan that his priceless artifact was in the best of hands.

To Ryan’s dismay, sometime over the next few months, that magazine turned up missing – “My mom ran it over with the vacuum,” or something to that effect. I thought she threw it away because of all the pictures of girls in bikinis. Yet, it mysteriously found its way back to my room with some tattered pages. Before long, that coveted issue of Surfer hung in the form of wallpaper on the freshly painted walls of my bedroom overlooking the St. Joseph River and Merrifield Park (918 Homewood Avenue, Mishawaka, Indiana 46544, where I lived from about 2 years old until I was 18 -- Google Earth can take you there!). Let’s just say my dad wasn’t absolutely thrilled about it. Eventually, he just glanced in at my ever-growing collection and said, “At least it’s not that damned Metal Edge and Hit Parader Glam-Rock-Hair-Band crap where all the guys look like girls!” I got to keep Ryan’s new wallpaper contribution to my bedroom. Ryan ended up moving to a new school in Texas that same year, and as for owing him a new magazine, I was in the clear.

I remember having my Grandma Davis record VHS copies of ABC’s Wide Wide World of Sports so I could watch people surf. She recorded every TV version of Surfer Magazine for me throughout the eighties, as well as all of the ESPN contests and Outdoor Channel Surfing programs. I remember two specific contests that my Grandma and I watched together. One was the OP Pro between Curren and Occy. The other was the OP Pro between Slater and Machado. I’ll never forget the phone call when Gram called me to tell me about how beautiful it was to watch Curren, Occy, Kelly, and Machado surf. I couldn’t get Occy’s slashing “check-your-spray” cutbacks out of my head. My grandma loved Kelly Slater, and I thought it was funny that she specifically made comments about Curren's and Machado's "beautiful style". My grandma lived in Indiana, but she could still appreciate a beautiful surfing style when she saw one. I used to watch those tapes over and over. Then I’d go next door and borrow Susan Smith’s yellow, thin, narrow, plastic Veraflex skateboard, and try to mimic what I saw on all of those surf tapes. I’d carve up and down the street, banking the curbs, ducking inside imaginative barrels doing my best Pipeline Jerry Lopez stand-up Lightening Bolt Single-fin imitation with my hands behind my arched back, chest out, and calm face; and tearing up my hands and blue jeans trying to do “Burts” in the driveway like I’d seen Larry Bertlemann and Buttons do on waves in Hawaii. I knew somehow I was going to put those moves to use one day in the ocean.

As Christmas approached my seventh grade year (1987, thirteen years old), my dad surprised us with going to Melbourne, FL for vacation. That vacation was my first trip to the Atlantic and led to the rental of my first surfboard from Shagg’s Surf Shop. If my memory serves me correctly, it was orange-sunburst with that classic wide point forward tear drop plan-shape, about 7’0” with a single fin glassed on under the rounded pintail. It wore the “Sunset” logo on the deck under a crust of wax that must have been building up since its hot-coat sand out in the 1970’s. I’ll never forget that thing. I found out recently that it was shaped by Ed Wright, one of the pastors at North Coast Calvary Chapel, where I attend church with my family (small world).

I never did catch a wave on that board. I didn’t know how to paddle or duck-dive, so I held the board out in front of me, braced myself for the coming of the next wave, and got hit in the head with the rail hard enough to scare me into calling it quits. I was afraid of it. That’s all she wrote for that vacation. The board sat up in the corner of our beach bungalow until my dad took it back to Shagg’s. I remember him wasting about $80 on the 3-day rental. Even though I was afraid to get hurt again, I went back to Indiana bound and determined to learn to surf. That first taste of salt water was enough to influence the rest of my life – not to mention the fact that my dad caught my whole surfing fiasco on VHS. My friends, relatives, and all who passed through our home got to see that hilarious home video, courtesy of my dad!

My seventh and eighth grade years (1987-1988, thirteen and fourteen years old) were very important years in the shaping of my surfing future. I met my friend Jason Sergeant, who had some cousins in California, and Jason shared my passion for surfing. We were like brothers from those early days until I graduated from Indiana University in 1998 and moved to Veracruz, Mexico to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) and search for waves in Oaxaca (Barra de la Cruz and Purto Escondido).

Jason and I were bound and determined to move far away from Indiana and live out our shared dream of living the surfer lifestyle. We didn’t have surfboards (the Tom Blake Kook Box and Malibu Balsa I made were both stolen), so we made skim boards shaped like surfboards and would ride those in the creeks near his house, and in the River by my house, looking for still-waves like we saw in The Endless Summer I or II (I can’t remember). We would eventually talk his dad and grandpa “Paum” into driving us to Lake Michigan to use them. Jason’s dad called me “Surfin’ Sam” throughout the time that I frequented their house. I remember one time in high school, when we were freshmen, Jason and I drank one of his dad’s Goebel’s beers out in the garage while we refined and redesigned our skimmers between bouts in the back yard with the boxing gloves. And it wasn't like we were getting drunk and drinking a lot of beers. It's just that we saw Greg Noll and Pat Curren and Dale Velzy and Butch Van Artsdalen and all the legends of the longboard era taking part in a beer or two and thought it was all part of the ritual of building boards. We were kids, and it was a big deal for us to crack one open and share it while we worked on our boards. We used to think of different materials to make boards with. We even tore apart old coolers and saved up every piece of foam we could get our hands on (As I wrote earlier, my first two shapes were a Tom Blake hollow, and a Tom Blake Malibu). I look back on those days with great fondness. Those were the days of innocence. I never knew they would have such a profound impact on my life as a surfer and a shaper until now, looking back and reflecting on those days.

Jason was like the brother I never had. We spent every moment of our youth together sharing our passion for surfing. I called him Duke and he would call me Pete (for Pete Marlin) or Kahuna (we read about Kahunas’ in ancient Hawaiian history). We both had subscriptions to all the surf magazines available at the time. We would even have to get each others approval when we would ask a girl out on a date – God forbid she ever get in the way of our surfing plans! If one could ever really have only one best friend, Jason was my true best friend. We both dreamed about being firemen one day, like his grandpa "Paum". He would do anything for me, and I would do anything for him.

We scoured the town we lived in for real surfboards but nothing ever turned up. We could have made more Tom Blake style boards, but they were too heavy for our situation. We made skim boards and skateboards; talked my dad into buying a Mistral sailboard; bought a Skurfer from my friend Tim Cleland so my dad could pull us behind his Chris Craft; drew our own designs for surfboards; even tried to talk our Junior High shop teacher, Mr. Kiefer, into letting us make another board out of wood. He wouldn’t even hear of such a thing. So instead of doing our drafting work in class, Jason and I would work on a series of surf comics which would later end up part of our “Surfing Folders” which we carried with us from Jr. High through High School. I still have mine. They consisted of everything we talked about, drew, designed, planned, pulled out of magazines – everything that had anything to do with surfing. We even worked up a business plan for our “Pirates of the Caribbean” surf shop which we planned to build in Brevard County, Florida. That never happened, but I still have the logo.

After waterskiing on Klinger Lake, Michigan, back in the summer of 1987 (I was 13 years old) I found an old Harbour mid-length / transitional surfboard with one of the first single-fin boxes ever made. The board was just floating in knee deep water next to my grandpa’s pier. It had a destroyed nose and tail, and had severe water damage. My friend Brian was not thrilled about bringing the board onto his dad’s nice new Bayliner so I could take it home with me after they trailered the boat back to Mishawaka. He said, "What are you going to do with that?" I looked at him and said, "I'm going to fix it and ride it on Lake Michigan." He looked at me and laughed because if you could see the board, you would think it was a goner. I begged them to let me bring it home, and they eventually complied with my urgent request (Brian and his dad were talented wood workers and still are true artisans to this day). Later on, my dad told me he would help me fix it. We dried it out repaired the nose and tail with spray foam from a can, and glassed it with his knowledge of glassing a Penn Yan wooden boat that he made from scratch when he was a kid. That became my first board.

The day I found that Harbour, I called up my buddy Jason, and told him what I found. It was like finding the Holy Grail. He immediately came over to my house, and we looked that thing over from tip to tail. This was it. We had a "real" board. Now all we had to do was get it in the water!

The following year (1988, 14 years old), my dad bought me a 6’8” Corky Cool Sticks bump squash thruster. I remember coming home from school and my parents were gone. They left a note saying they were going to Grand Rapids, Michigan and wouldn’t be back until late. The phone rang and it was my father. He said, “Hey, have you ever seen a Mark Richards twin fin or a Corky Cool Sticks thruster? They have one of each here in a surf shop in Grand Haven.” I knew about Mark Richards from my Lueras book, but I had read Surf Dog Days and Bitchin Nights by Corky Carroll, and that made me kind of biased toward the Corky Cool Stick. I told my dad all of this hubbub about Corky and how it would be cool to own one of his boards. Knowing now what I didn’t know then, I should have raved about the classic Mark Richards twin fin! I didn’t realize that they were at Wind Waves & Wheels buying me a surfboard until I saw it under the Christmas tree. That same year, Jason’s parents drove out to Whale Bone Surf Shop in Nags Head, NC and bought him a Rip Curl surfboard shaped by Bill Shrosbree (whom I've since become friends with through Jeff Warner at Legends Surf). They bought some soft racks as well, so we had Jason’s dad and grandpa drive us to St. Joe almost every weekend. It didn’t matter if it was rideable or completely flat. We would at least paddle around and get wet on those things.

One day, Jason and I arrived to surf St. Joe and noticed other surfers in the water, and a woman with a clip board standing on the beach. We immediately ran up to her and asked her what the heck was going on. After all, until that day we thought we were the only people to ever even try to surf on one of the Great Lakes. She said she was from the Eastern Surfing Association: Great Lakes District and they were having a contest called “The Gale’s of November”. We couldn’t even believe it. Here we were surfing alone all this time and there was an actual surf club! I contacted the ESA that same year and became a member. The woman also turned me on to The Great Lakes Surfing Association (GLSA), and I immediately contacted Oscar Wolfbrant, the GLSA President at the time, and he hooked me up with a membership card and a subscription to the GLSA magazine (which at that time was just a bunch of xeroxed pages, folded over, and stapled down the middle in the form of a book. It eventually made its way to glossy paper with Erik Holt, and I even remember some color issues, when Rick Boss was President.

Jason and I were both wrestlers at Mishawaka High School. We had the best wrestling team in the state of Indiana. We were good, and our coach was my next door neighbor. I started wrestling when I was about as tall as a rolled up wrestling mat. I remember one day during the winter, when Jason and I skipped the beginning of practice so we could drive 45 minutes to St. Joseph, Michigan to surf the lake during one memorable winter swell. We returned from our surfari with about 10 minutes left of wrestling practice. Coach Smith asked us where we were and we told him we were surfing. He just about had a coronary when we told him this. He nearly kicked us off the team. I was doing push-ups, sit-ups, ladder drills, and wind-sprints until I threw up, for an entire week of practice, running upstairs with coach Lance Beehler. That didn’t stop us though -- that was only the beginning of our drop-everything-and-take-off-to-surf-at-the-drop-of-a-hat attitude toward catching waves on Lake Michigan. After all, we now had our own boards, and we were that much closer to living out our dream.

We surfed the lake on a regular basis from 1988 through 1998 when I moved away to Mexico. Jason only had a 3/2 with a vest, so his surfing was limited to the warmer weather. I however eventually bought an O’Neil 5/4/3 Zen Zip with a hood, 5 mm booties, and 5 mm gloves, and I surfed the 33 degree waters throughout the winter time when it really got really good on Lake Michigan (thanks to Erik Holt and his hook up with Ned at Chapter 11 Sports). That ten year span was just enough time for me to really get bit by the surfing bug. Man! I had surf fever and I had it bad!

In the fall of 1992, I went off to college at Ball State University to study Marine Biology and Aquatic Fisheries. I soon found out that my parents were getting a divorce after 25 years of marriage and about 27 years of being together just out of high school. They were high school sweet hearts, and even went to Indiana University together. Ara Parseghian, head coach of the Notre Dame Football Team, wrote my father a letter, asking him to come play Center Lineman on their football team. He ended up choosing I.U. because that's where my mom was going. He played on the Indiana University Football Team that was in the 1967 Rose Bowl, when they lost to the University of Southern California (14–3). He was even being scouted by George "Papa Bear" Halas of the Chicago Bears, but was so in love with my mom, that he gave it all up to marry her and start a family. Even though I tried (every way I knew how) to help make things work out between my parents back home, I had no desire to concentrate on college, and I didn’t know which direction to go in my life. All I wanted to do was run from reality, and somehow help my parents get back together.

When I was down at Ball State, I didn’t know what was going on back home, so I drove home from college every weekend to help my dad cope with my mom leaving him. I tried to help my mom too, because I didn’t think she really understood the breadth of what she was doing to our family by asking my dad for a divorce. All of this led to me placing my Ball State University education on hold. I moved in with my Dad, got a job at Fairmont Homes, building modular homes, in Napanee, IN, and realized that the factory life was not the life for me. I knew I needed to get back into college somehow.

Sometime during the spring break after I left college I took a Greyhound Bus from South Bend, IN to Fort Lauderdale with a Tim Nolte Short board that I found at Red’s Pawn Shop, Twin Branch, IN (board #5 for me). It was pretty clean for a pawn shop board and a lucky find all the way inland in Indiana. I rode that in Pompano Beach and realized the surf was less than desirable, so my buddy Ken Okanski and I ended up walking from Pompano Beach all the way to Fort Lauderdale one morning, called our buddy’s, told them that Fort Lauderdale’s Spring Break was the place to be, took a cab back to Pompano, and moved all of our stuff down to a hotel on the beach in Fort Lauderdale for the rest of our stay.

What a trip. The only reason I went was so I could surf in the Atlantic Ocean again to redeem myself from the last time I tried it. Needless to say, the Atlantic wasn’t dishing out anything spectacular. It was waist to shoulder high and pretty inconsistent all week, but at least there were waves and I could actually surf in salt water.

I surfed while the other guys came up with the idea to make fake ID’s to get into the local bars. Mine was a Ball State University ID that I peeled the top laminate off of, inserted a birth date that made me 21, and re-laminated it. Back then they didn’t have all the fancy stuff to check ID’s and we actually got away with having a few beers together and staying out of trouble in Fort Lauderdale – one of my more memorable spring breaks.

Toward the end of the week, we started to look around the town because our crew was dropping off like flies as they ran out of money. Ken and I were going to get jobs at a local surf shop, but our buddies talked us into going home. I remember Chris Lutz flew home on a plane, and most of us (Todd Franks, Matt Vervynckt, Ken Okanski, and Jason Van Camp) had to take the Grayhound back. Since I was one of the strapped crew (no money), I decided to take the Tim Nolte to a pawn shop. Before I ever even made it to the pawn shop, I ran inside our hotel to grab my wallet and handed my board to Matt. When I got back outside, he had a funny look on his face and as I looked the board over I noticed the rail was crushed and the nose was broken off at the tip. Matt said, “Uh, sorry. I dropped it.” The guy at the pawn shop asked me “What on earth am I supposed to do with a broken surfboard, son?” I said, “Fix it and sell it for more than what you give me for it. I don't know! I just need the money to get back home!” Luckily, the guy at the shop sensed my urgency, asked me how much my ticket was, let me pawn it for just enough money to buy a ticket home to Indiana. That was the beginning of my itch to get out on the road, into the air, across the sea, and abroad.

After my trip to Florida, all I could think about was traveling. On the weekends I used to drive to Muncie and visit my old college room mate David Haywood, and David’s new room mate, Eric Norris (a childhood friend of mine whom I used to hang out with. Eric is an Engineer on the Mishawaka Fire Department). One weekend, I found a Bing Glass Slipper in someone’s bushes at Ball State University, Muncie, IN. This was somewhere between 1992 or 1993. That became the second board I had repaired, and ended up being board #6 for me. Eventually that one was stripped to the foam and dried out until 2000, reshaped, and glassed by my buddy Drew Marquis out here in California, when I moved here back in 2001.

After working two Jobs for awhile (Fairmont and Macri’s Deli), I wrote a letter to the bursar and the dean of Ball State University and persuaded them to let me back into the university. I went back there from 1993 to 1994 and studied Natural Resources and Environmental Management. I got good enough grades to stay, pledged the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house, helped to form a band called Dry Rain (Me, Nate Rowe, Doug Lambert, Brad Swinney, Aaron Hatton, and George Anagnos), got a job as a cook at Headliner’s Bar and Grill, and spent that year going to class, surviving 22 weeks of hazing hell at my frat house, playing gigs all over campus and all over Indiana, making lots of friends, and realizing that I was missing the experience of being in the ocean and being on a surfboard. I wanted to open up my own surf shop in Florida.

My father visited me one weekend and told me that if I didn’t really want to go to college then I should pursue my dream of starting up a surf shop and moving to Florida to make it happen. I believed that he was right. But I knew that I needed to finish college first. I decided to transfer to Indiana University at South Bend so I could be closer to home and closer to pursuing my dream by working and saving up money. My major shifted again because IUSB did not offer the same degree in Environmental Science that Ball State offered, so I studied Environmental Law, Criminal Justice, Public Affairs, and other courses at IUSB from 1994 to 1995 toward a similar degree. It just wasn’t turning out to be something that I loved. I decided to take a leave of absence from classes for awhile with my high GPA, so I could do it on good terms.

One weekend in Muncie, I visited an old friend (Kristen Van Gombos) at Headliner’s, where I used to work. We ended up hanging out all weekend, and she told me of a trip she was planning as a graduation present to herself to travel around Europe. She said jokingly that I should go with her. I looked at her, thought about it for a moment, and said, “You’re right, I should.” I told her I was going to go home, save some money, and that I would purchase two tickets for us when I had the money. She said, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” I took that to heart, went home, worked three jobs which only allowed me a few hours to sleep at night, and did that long enough to save $3,500. I called Kristen, asked her how much she was going to take with her to Europe, and that was right around the same amount she was going to take. I contacted "Airtech Ltd." This company offered "Dirt Cheap Airfare" one way to Shannon Ireland from Chicago, IL for $129. I bought two stand-by tickets and called Kristen. I told her I bought two tickets and she thought I was kidding. I assured her that I was serious, and she sent me down to Gallien’s Outfitter’s in Indianapolis to get an employee discount on a Gregory Palisades Plus backpack. I purchased the backpack, my father bought me a really beautiful pair of leather Asolo hiking/climbing boots, and we lived in Europe for a year.

I lived in several countries including Ireland, England, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Greece (including the Islands of Corfu, Ios, Naxos, Santos, Paros, and Santorini), Czech Republic, Spain, France, Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. I was blessed enough to find surfable waves in Ireland, Greece, Spain, and France. Although, I had to resort to renting boards in those places, since I didn’t bring one with me. I was there for the 1995 Quiksilver Masters in Biarritz, France. Kelly, Rob, Sunny, and all the other surfers seemed embarrassed to have to surf a major contest in such small conditions. I remember how the crowd and contest promoters were making such a huge deal out of the contest because it was good press for their little surf town. Rob and Sunny were acting like, “are you kidding me? I can’t accept a trophy for riding that crap!” Champagne was being poured all over everyone and people were caught up in the hubbub and the whole nine yards as if it was the pipe masters. I had to laugh because I knew what was going on in the pros’ heads. I knew they had to put on a good show for the sponsors and contest promoters, and all they really wanted were some good surfing conditions. After the contest, back at my camp in Biarritz proper, I threw back a few beers with some surfers from the Canary Islands. Those guys were about as hard core as surfers get, and I had fun getting to know them.

I could write a book about my travels in Europe back in 1995, so I’ll save that for another day.

I was in a relationship with a girl who decided to move to Mexico to pursue her dream of teaching English to Spanish speaking locals in Veracruz, Mexico. I had decided to move to Talara, Peru to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) and figured we would be close enough to visit each other. Our relationship needed a break. We were after something new, and just couldn’t find it in Michigan. About a week away from our departure, I received an e-mail from a colleague at the school I was going to work for in Talara. He warned me that the conditions and pay were not as promised, and told me I would have a miserable time trying to find a way back to the United States. This was a real let down, because I knew Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and basically the entire coastline of Central and South America was littered with amazing surf spots. Going on a last minute tip from my girlfriend at the time, I ended up finding a school to teach at in Veracruz, Mexico near her school and we jumped on the same plane. This was just after we graduated from Indiana University on May 12^th, 1998.

I knew about Puerto Escondido from the magazines, so before I left, I headed up to Chapter 11 Sports in Grand Haven and bought a 6’4” Cannibal Pintail for the trip. When I arrived, I realized that Puerto Escondido was only an eight hour bus ride. Later, I realized I was under-gunned.

My surfing experience in Veracruz was unforgettable. I hung out a lot with a laid back kid named Mark, who was the son of missionary parents living in Costa de Oro. He used to surf with me at Destapador (The Can Opener) which was a local favorite in front of one of the main hotels. I remember being really excited when I met him because he was American and spoke English. It was a real treat to be able to carry on a conversation in English after being immersed in Spanish for so long. I caught some fun waves there and even bought my first hybrid long board from a guy they called Canada Mike. It was an 8’ Pacific Rim pintail thruster, shaped by the infamous “Eddie” for $150 including a board bag and a leash. After spending some time surfing Destapa, I quickly became friends with members of the Veracruz Surfing Association (Associacion de Surf del Estado de Veracruz).

My daily routine would be to take the bus with my surf gear from Costa Verde to Boca del Rio, teach all day at Harmon Hall, Las Americas, and then make my way back home surfing all the spots along the way. I would spend the week days working and surfing in Veracruz at various spots including Destapa or Destapador, playa Norte, Camaronera, Costalitos or Costales, Garlics, Ica Banzai, La Barra, Marti reef, Acquario, Tampiquera, Oh Shit!, and several other spots that the world doesn’t even know about on the Gulf Coast. It was a paradise I didn’t realize until I moved back to Michigan.

I moved around quite a bit and lived in some interesting places. The best was a little studio apartment I found down the stairs from a Canadian computer hacker who was wanted by the Canadian government for fraud. He turned out to be a really cool guy and a great friend. He taught me everything I needed to know about the internet, and we drank vodka and shared stories in our down time.

I met a fearless body boarder named Iker Ochoa whom I watched air-drop into triple overhead Puerto barrels on a boogie board. One time he hit so hard that the board flew out from under him, his leash snapped, and we had to retrieve him from the ripping long shore current, because it knocked the wind out of him and broke his ribs. Iker was super cool and turned me on to John Mayall and the Blues Breakers. We used to cruise around in his car looking for waves, and listening to the blues.

I also met a crazed dog named Lazaro Mendoza, who would take long board wipeouts at ten foot plus Puerto Escondido just to have it on film. This guy was rad. His father was a Rear-Admiral in the Mexican Navy and used to have the whole port of Puerto Escondido blocked off by a Navy ship so boats couldn’t come in and interfere with the surf! He just made a phone call and his dad saw that it was done. Lazaro was the epitome of “da kine”. He took me anywhere I wanted to go… Zicatela, La Punta, Carisalillo, Barra de la Cruz (La Jolla), all the spots in Oaxaca, that were going off at the time. Since his dad was in the Navy, we never had to deal with la policia or federales. We simply jumped into his Black Jeep Grand Cherokee with Full window tint all the way around, and drove any place we wanted without hassle. He trusted me too. He once loaned me a brand new Al Merrick pintail gun with red tint. I took it to some uncharted sand bars south of La Punta in a complete stranger’s Land Cruiser that he towed behind a bus all the way from Washington. We hit some surf that scared the living crap of me. I had never gone so fast or duck-dove such heavy surf in all my life. Luckily, I came back with the stick in one piece, and Lazaro let me take it out with him at La Punta. Basically, I took any board I wanted and it was cool with Lazaro and the boys. That was another luxury I didn’t realize until after I moved back to Michigan.

The rest of our crew included David Dixon from Florida; more guys from Veracruz -- David Noboa / Novoa, Jesse “Jesus” Lopez, Ruffo Navaro, Guillermo, Memo, Alex; Mr. Puerto Escondido himself, Angel Salinas and his wonderful family, Local Puerto ripper “Roger”; and the list goes on.

I spent the week days teaching English and surfing the local spots. On the weekends I would find my way to Oaxaca so I could spend time in Puerto Escondido. This was before they had an airport that led to Puerto, and this was also before Barra de la Cruz / La Jolla was even public knowledge. To us it was like having perfect Rincon all to ourselves, with nobody else out except friends to share waves with and hoot on when someone would get a good ride.

Usually, we would purchase a bus ticket to Mexico City, sleep through the night on the bus to Huatulco, and take a cab from Huatulco to Puerto Escondido. We would tour the town, surf the best waves of our lives, and really enjoy ourselves. Other times, we would hook up with the VSA and load everything up in a red pickup truck, David’s white VW bug, Iker’s car, and along with the others, we would car pool to Puerto. This was a lot faster than the 8 hour bus ride, and much safer around the treacherous cliffs worn away by mud slides and washouts from all the rain. We got stuck on quite a few different occasions with nowhere to go because entire roads would get washed away, and we would have to wait until someone trucked in fill-dirt and a road grater to make a new path or road for us to travel on. A couple of times we were stuck on the Puerto side and it worked out to our advantage. Basically, we got to stay a couple of extra days, turned them into long weekends, and I got a little vacation from teaching ESL at Harmon Hall Las Americas.

Shortly after reading Dave Parmenter’s “Polarity” article in “Coyote Lines,” Surfer, vol. 41, no. 1, while lying in bed in my Costa Verde condo, I realized that Lake Surfing had finally been publicized world-wide in a national magazine. As I read along in disbelief, the article literally sent a rush of adrenaline through me. Lake Michigan finally made a two-pager in the magazine I’ve been faithfully reading since I was 12 years old, back in 1986. This was a milestone for me in my surfing history. My own surfing heritage was finally gaining some recognition – even though most of the press about Lake Surfing was negative and mostly publicized to make fun of us. I didn’t care. This time it was for real, and I knew it was just the tip of the ice-shelf for the whole lake crew.

One day, at the local internet café near my condo, I googled “surfing on Lake Michigan”. It took me to the GLSA website, with a new President by the name of Rick Boss. The website also featured a link to the “Lake Surf Forum” administered by Craig Kemnitz, or “CK” as they called him, and Robert “Doc” Beaton.

I signed up for a username and password on the Lake Surf Forum, and logged on under the moniker “Wave Wolf”. I was looking for some people to surf with because I knew I would be moving back to Michigan soon to accept a teaching job at Cassopolis Ross Beatty Junior / Senior High School. So I posted a question to find out if there were any other lake surfers who lived near my father in Cassopolis, MI. One kid replied to my post. His name was Drew Marquis.

I read and posted on the Lake Surf Forum for about two months before I flew home. By that time, I was pretty dialed into the whole lake scene and what it had become over the years. I met quite a few good guys and made some lasting friendships because of that forum. Years down the road, CK ended up canceling the forum for his own reasons and that marked the end of a pretty cool era of communication amongst the lake surfing community. It really was a cool thing, because it brought together a culture of people who would probably never have met without it.

The same week that I arrived home, Drew Marquis showed up on my father’s door step where I was staying, and I finally got to meet the face behind the lake surf posts. When I got home from Mexico, I opened my board bag and discovered a nice puncture hole in the bottom of my Pacific Rim as well as a broken fin.

Drew and I used to surf the frigid 33 degree water during some of the harshest winters imaginable. It was not uncommon to have ice forms on my eyebrows, coming out of my nostrils, and hanging from the visor of the hooded O’Neill Zen Zip 5/4/3 I bought at Chapter 11 Sports in Grand Haven. We surf together all the time. He had this box that me made which hung out the back of his truck and it was basically a giant surfboard container which could hold a board over 10’ and all his gear. We would take his truck or my 1988 Toyota SR5 pickup, which I had also converted into the ultimate surf vehicle.

Drew was there when I did the repair jobs and I believe that is when he developed his obsession with polyester resin. He had a huge 10’ plus long board that he ordered from somewhere on the east coast. He damaged the board beyond repair and ended up giving it to me so I could reshape the blank. This became a regular thing for us, and we took on quite a few ding repair jobs from guys around the lake, including a long board repair for Carla Olsen, a classic Bing pintail repair, and a C.C. Ryder delam job for my buddies Chuck and Terry over at the South End Surf Club.

Somehow, I acquired a 6’9” Clubber short board, stripped the glass off and reshaped it into a nice rounded pintail with flames airbrushed by Phil Rassi who also made some bitchin’ custom fly rods. That was about the time I reshaped the Bing Glass Slipper which ended up with a beautiful shark attack themed paint job by Ryan Sergeant (Jason’s older brother). Both Ryan and Jason Sergeant were extremely talented artists. Even though I consider myself an artist, I could never place myself on the same level as those two. They blew me away with their talents.

Through the forum, my board collection began to grow. I ended up acquiring eleven boards during the time I taught high school in Michigan and surfed the lake after my return from Mexico. I bought a 6’ David Nuuhiwa Dyno single-fin pintail with with triple resin-paper stringers, a thalo-blue bottom and rails blending into a mint-green deck with white pin lines. It was beautiful and only cost me $25. I eventually had Drew restore it, rode it for years in epic California surf, and sold it to a collector for $650. I also bought a 7’9” Channin / Diffenderfer hulled single-fin with a clear deck, white and blue pin lines, canary yellow rails, a canary yellow bottom, and a blue board bag for $150 from my good buddy Erik Holt. I had Drew restore that one too, rode it for years in epic California surf and sold it to a collector for $900. I caught some amazing and memorable waves on those boards when I moved to California.

Ryan Gerard (whom I mentioned above) began surfing in 1998, moved to Santa Cruz and learned to Shape and Glass boards at the Pearson Arrow factory by Bob Pearson and Will Jobson. He moved back to the lake in 2000 to finish college and built a board in my dad’s garage around that time. He eventually started up his own board building business (www.shapesbyryan.com) by building a shack with his dad, and made quite a few beautiful boards with his own creative concepts of board design mixed with templates from the Arrow factory, George Greenough, Dale Solomonson, Tom Morrey, Lance Carson, Brewer, Weber, Con, and countless others. Luckily, he revived the Lake Surf forum on the website for his New Buffalo surf shop, Third Coast. This brought all the lakers back in contact with each other. His website can be reached at www.thirdcoastsurfshop.com as well as the new forum. Ryan was kind enough to let me fly out to his surf shop and trace out every last one of his templates. Basically, I ended up with an entire history of surfboard outlines that took up an entire roll of Home Depot Heavy Brown Paper. I had to carry it on to the plane to get the templates home safely.

Drew Marquis, Ryan Gerard, and I eventually busted out the Clark Foam catalog and began a stint of making a few boards out of my dad’s garage. I helped drew shape his first board and he glassed it. It was a short board that he tinted blue and it worked pretty well. I think someone eventually bought it from him when he moved to Santa Cruz to live with Ryan and to work at the Arrow factory. We had resin all over the floor of my dad’s garage and he eventually made us scrape up every last catalyzed drop of tinted resin before it was all over.

I met Carla Olsen through the forum, and she used to come over to the garage shop to dabble in the process of board building. Carla and Drew and I went to a GLSA party in Holland, MI, and I met quite a few people who became good friends over the years. I bought the Diffenderfer from Erik the morning after the party.

Erik Holt and Rick Boss lived together in a sweet house in Holland, Michigan. It was the Headquarters for the Great Lakes Surfing Association (established in Grand Haven, MI back in 1966). They threw some great parties and surf gatherings. I really miss those guys. We had some great fun during those times.

Rick was a nice Christian guy, who was trying to clean all of the negative influences out of his life to pursue his path. Later on after I became a born again Christian myself out here in California, I realized why he was the way he was, and just why he was introduced into my life.

Erik and I had a lot in common. We had the same sense of humor. We both loved collecting boards. And we both liked to do ding repair. He was known on the Lakes as the Surfboard Surgeon. He was talented with resin, and had a knack for watercraft. Erik and I surfed a lot together.

I remember one day when South Haven was ten foot. It rained, hailed, sleeted, and snowed all in the same surf session, no lie. It was uncanny. It was Erik Holt, Rick Boss, Johnny Fox (another amazing artist), and me. We would use the rip next to the pier to take us out into the lineup, catch the big mush-bombs, and ride them all the way to the beach. It was like a conveyer belt. We’d get out of water at the sand, walk back to the pier, while desperately trying to keep the gale force winds from blowing our boards out of our hands, and we’d have another go at the ten footers.

Erik had a beautiful cottage on Lake Michigan where he kept most of his board collection, and unfortunately, he lost it all in a fire. He was a gifted sailor as well. He had an exact scaled down replica of the America’s Cup Stars and Stripes. It was called mini-America. The first time he let me sail it, I never even made it out of the harbor dock area with out running it straight into the US Coast Guard dock, destroying the hull, the rigging, and mast. Erik was a good sport about it and to this day, I am surprised that the incident didn’t damage our friendship.

Through Erik Holt, I became friends with Mark Hoeksema, Jim Hoop, CK, Roger Copenger, Terry, Chuck Ross, and Doc Beaton through Rick Boss and Erik. Holt. Mark is an amazing photographer, Jim and Roger are excellent surfers and run the South End over in Whiting at a place called Shooters. Terry and Chuck are good surfers and good friends to have.

I spent most of my time surfing St. Joe, Michigan, New Buffalo, Grand Haven, South Haven, Marquette, Billy Beach, Whiting, and took the occasional trip to Zion, IL or Sheboygan, WI. The people I surfed with along the way remain dear friends whom I hold close to my heart. I will never forget those days.

Surfing the Lake became a thing of camaraderie for all of us on the lake. Unlike California, lake surfers could paddle out somewhere that was empty and clean, and could wish they had someone else to share the stoke with. Out here in California I’ve learned over the past seven years that everyone is agro. The lineup is peppered with surfers up and down the coast, and everyone is in each others’ way ready to scrap in the parking lot because people don’t pay attention to etiquette. On the Lake, we would always finish a session and go have a couple beers over dinner with whomever was involved to talk about the session and share in each others’ stoke. To me, that is what surfing is about – the positive camaraderie, not the aggression and negative attitudes exhibited by most of the people I encounter out in the water. Somewhere between the Duke and the modern era, all of that was lost.

In 2001, I took a trip to San Diego with Erik Holt over Spring Break. When I arrived in San Diego, I was blown away. Greg picked us up from the airport, and seeing that his apartment was going to be cramped with both Erik and I staying there, I decided to stay at my fraternity brother, Tony’s house. I stayed with Tony Cruz, Jim Thomas, and Dan Costello’s house in Bay Park and Erik stayed at Greg Gemmen’s house down in PB. We caught some fun waves in Pacific Beach and also at the Carlsbad State Beach campgrounds. It was on this trip that I became deathly ill from a viral sinus infection when I surfed out in front of a storm drain in PB right after it rained. I was so sick when I woke up the next morning that I couldn’t breath. Going on a tip from Erik, I called Donna Frye to ask her what to do because Erik said that Skip came down with a nasty viral sinus infection from surfing in PB. It was right around the time she was running for City Council, and asked me to come down and help her with her campaign. We had to fly out that same day, so I didn’t get to help, but I kept the connection because I knew that San Diego would be the next place I called home.

When I arrived back home, I thanked my dad for letting me stay at his place and told him I was going to move to San Diego. School let out for summer, and I spent the rest of the month giving away my belongings, and eventually packed what I could into a 24 foot Ryder truck, and pulled out of my father’s driveway in Cassopolis, MI with my Toyota Truck in tow on its own trailer. My cousin Anne Vogler was on a break from college and decided to go along with me for company. I drove all 2,500 on that trip and pulled an 18 hour shift on one of the days. My Ryder truck overheated 5 times going over the Laguna Mountains, and once I made the long stretch on HWY 8 into San Diego, I knew I was home free!

I pulled up to Tony, Jim, and Dan’s, stayed with them for about a month, Dan moved into a place with his fiancé, and I moved into his old room on Fairfield Street in Bay Park.

I've been designing and shaping boards ever since.

There's more to this story... lake surfing, ErikHolt, the GLSA, DREW MARQUIS, Jim Hoop, The South End Surf Club, Mexico… Veracruz, Puerto Escondido, the Lake surf Book, Van Starling, Skip Frye, Vince Deuer… buying a camera… filming surf sessions out front on Ocean Street… gigging with Rheanna Downey, meeting Jesse Billhour… Gerlach's influence…Steven Barilotti at Jeremy’s house... Chuck… Basically from 1999 – present… I will mention all the people involved, friendships, my book of poetry... etc... SO STAY TUNED FOLKS!!!!!!!

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