The Latest

Oh man, where to start!?
I've been back in the shop full time this week, working out some new ideas that impregnated my brain while in Australia.  I've shaped 5 boards in the past few days that I'm really pleased with, including a plug for a new spoon mold thats a bit smaller than the old one and more refined; suffice to say I'll be poppin' out some sweet little flex spoons when the mold is done...frothing!

In the meantime, here is Nico's spoon that I built with him in Byron Bay.  I stayed at Nico's for 2 weeks so we made the best of our time and used his back yard to do the majority of the work on the board while we weren't surfing.

I didn't forsee building a spoon so I didn't bring the template with me; I put this one together using the Greenough/Wildnerness stubby template I've been shaping the SB Stub from.  With hardly any tweaks it laid out into a perfect spoon template; from 6'7 down to 5', the curves matched up really cleanly...It showed me very clearly how direct Greenough's influence was being used in surfboard evolution at the time.  Pretty flippin' cool!

Welcome Back :)

I want to send out a huuuuuuge thank you to everyone who helped my cobble my trip together as it progressed; I'm always very fortunate to spend my time with amazing people when I travel and I couldn't possibly scoot around so well cared for without some seriously amazing people, so thank you all, you know exactly who you are!

Welcome back to Santa Barbara...This is why we pay through the nose to live here and why no matter how awesome places that I go to are, why Santa Barbara is still home.

We were blessed with a beautiful little afternoon of swell and sunshine, I watched Connor and Brandon trim the day away from the cliff with a tweaked paw...

I'm stoked to be back, looks like the Whales were too!

Finless at Lennox

In this episode of Rabbit's Footery we've got mr.Ari Browne of Byron Bay, Australia...Give it a gander. Finless funkery at its finest, at one of the most photogenic places I've ever seen, Lennox Head:

Parting Shots

Friends were made.

Spoons were made

Tubes were made.

Thanks Oz <3

Bunny Stronghand

Ari Browne @ Lennox with the Rabbit's Foot/Bunny Stronghand/the Chihuahua's Face...

Ari is 19 and blew me away when I saw him surfing the Rabbit's Foot; with less than 8 sessions on it he was absolutely destroying on it.

Always in the pocket and in tune with the wave's speed and the board's ability to utilize it. Ari is now the owner of that variation of the Foot and I'm sure some interesting things will take place between them at home in Byron Bay; I'm pretty stoked I decided to shape and glass that one the day before I left for Oz!

Dreaming Of __________

currently floating around the Noosa festival, Australia is just as I left it; perfect.

Sorry for the lack of blog postage, internet powers are lacking and require more effort than I feel like exerting on my vacation leg of this adventure ;)

Staying with a pile of radical individuals. the enthusiasm for surf and culture is electric, watching Children of the Sun nightly with Matty Chojnacki is making me want to shape some involvement boards reeeeeeeeeal badly!

In the meantime, Morgan has thrown up a rather epical video of back home and it's got me all excited to surf good waves, though Noosa hasn't offered too much so far I'm hoping next week will bring the goods! Check Trevor and Travers' shred...sooooooooo rad!!!

Today's the Day!

I'm off on shaping/travel duty today, I'll be touring the North-East coast of Australia until April, holding down the fort in Byron Bay and Noosa; I've got a Rabbit's Foot with me as well as a v.Bowls and a few other funky machines for the journey! STOKING!!!!!!

Above we have Trevor Gordon and his 16 year old brotha' Spencer, plus Will and Travers Adler making for a whole bunch of shred.

There's a bit of Rabbits Footing, v.Bowlsing, ThrougHulling, and Travers putting it down on a White Owl.

Rabbits Foot for Oz

Start | Finish

My last-minute prepareation for my quickly upcoming visit to Australia...curious to see what happens on this between Noosa and Byron and all the shredders I'll be visiting!

Heaps of Sherbert

The other evening I got a little fire to shape a special little board for the Australia shape-cation coming up, I figured last years trip changed my life so heavily that I ought to build a board for this years trip with what I've learned since last time...I ended up at 8'3" x 23" x 3" and very thinly foiled...v.Bowls esque in foil and concept, with a few modifications to offer a little different kind of groove. Volan all around w/deck patch, abstract Sherbert bottom with white tinted deck...my my my, she's a looker and feels juuuuuust right under my arm, I'm frothing on this one!

I'll be bringing this one, my 8' v.Bowls and 7'4" Pocket Pleaser...a nice round quiver of round boards!

@ the Greenhouse

Prep for my departure to Australia is going well!

AUSTRALIA 2012!!!!

Its happening! After my unreal trip last year, I've finally got all my ducks in a row and I'm on my way back next month for another shape-venture of epic proportions!

Spread the word if you feel the urge, I'm collecting orders now for the trip and can't wait to get my dusty a$$ over there and get to work!!

Smoove Operator

(photo: Steve Wintle)

Miles Jackler | Sinister Hand (once known as Kyle Lightner's gHulliath) | Noosa.

hows that for a link-packed post???

t.Rev's Down Unda'

Two of the pile of boards I shaped in Byron Bay a few weeks back; 2 + 1 t.Rev's.

One severely foiled out (think shortboard-esque foil), the other foiled like the orig. t.Rev (thicker tail/nose)

Over @ Six Ounce Board Store in Manly, NSW.

and a bonus...Trevor on the Fush (higher perf. foiled out/triplane twin fish) in the new Surfer Magazine via the ever vigilant Morgo Maassen :

suhWEEEEEET!

Basic Frames of Mind:

Dane Peterson

Sasha Leitmanis

Nico Bloedel

Jungle Love

Morgo Maassen traded me his housing for my board for a few waves in Noosa last week, I got some fun shots, this one of Connor riding Jordan's copper gold device.

Frosty aces and Jandals

Connor Miles and I are hanging out in Byron Bay with Jordan Noble who shapes Note surfboards and Jesse Watson (Black Apache Surfboards) up at Currumbin...HEAPS of hospitality and love, it's a truly amazing community here that is living an existence daily that so many think is impossible.

oh yeah, and Rich Pavel is the MAN. some amazing moments of conversation with him over here and I couldn't be any more enthused by his zen like surf wisdom!

-R

here's part of the conversation at the Fish Fry night @ the museum. give it a GOOD listen:

Blackbird Blackbird

1967-1971 In Motion

Here's something that's been captivating me lately. If you have the curiosity and can see the subtleties you'll hopefully find the same...

Watch this clip from the Hot Generation (1967), watch the way they use their rails and surf the wave; the lines they're drawing and the TYPES of waves they're surfing. the subtle (and sometimes not) style and flow.

Then watch this...TWO years later. thats TWO seasons of surfing, check the DRASTIC change in the same surfers, same general waves and check out the progression this crew was making.

Notice the edges and shapes that were catching in the first video, then check the changes in shape and curves in these boards...still longer shapes, flat rockers, more curvaceous and more flow. In particular check out 1:30-1:38, the bottom turn to top, then deep cutback...gnarly:

THEN this. Ted Spencer is a good one to watch through the three videos, same basic style; different use of the wave all together. Same stance, knees, hands everything...different rythm and flow.

Only 4 years apart. It blows my mind what these guys did. Also notice that through all 3 videos different guys used shared the same board... Indicating to ME that they weren't just popping out boards, they thought them through, crafted them together, and rode them together.

A seriously beautiful way to do it and a really interesting progression and way to see it in a visual form which I don't see too often; articles and photos are great but to see it so plainly really paints a clear picture for someone that has a more visual thought process.