Westbound Boarder

This is a little story about a guy who builds surfboards.

Bob “Ole” Olson recently celebrated his 80^th birthday and as such, could quite possibly be the oldest surfboard shaper on the planet. On a recent trip to Maui, I caught up with Ole as he was being inducted into the International Surfboard Builders hall of fame during the 16^th annual Ole Long board Classic at Launiupoko Beach Park. Talk about an awesome vibe. Some of the best long board riders in Hawaii were there and the ocean cooperated by delivering near perfect waves for the event.  In this elite group of shapers other noted surfboard builders include: Dale Velzy, Delbert “Bud” Higgins and Barry “BK” Kanaiaupuni.

Ole Started shaping boards after teaching drafting and industrial arts classes way back in 1958 in California.  His boards were almost an instant hit when he decided to pack up his shaping tools and move to Lahaina, Maui in 1971. Lahaina was a lot different than the tourist town it is today. Back then Lahaina was a sugar mill town and as a result surrounded by sugar cane fields.  There were also waves! Beautiful tropical waves that broke consistently (almost) year round. Lahaina is located on the leeward side of Maui and faces south and West – which means hot. In Hawaiian, Lahaina literally is translated into Merciless Sun. At the risk of being sounding overly dramatic, it’s hot here. Not in the way that some folks think “hot” should be or seems like.  It’s freaking HOT here. In other words, Anglo’s melt and wine turns to glue. Gecko lizards can be seen cavorting around in kiddie pools. How the missionaries existed here in dark, woolen clothing plum escapes me. However, the saving grace is that in the summer time there is usually a south swell running that blesses the island paradise with perfect waves and perfect island breezes.  Back in the day, and a little way down Front Street there was also a defunct pineapple cannery and this is where Ole first set up shop. The old cannery was really rough. There were all manner of funky little shops, hippies, wild dogs, 10″ centipedes, scorpions and everything in between running around in this place. Ole didn’t seem to mind though and started cranking out some of the most beautifully shaped boards in the world.

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While many shapers today rely on computers and CAD programs to build their boards, Ole still shapes his boards the old fashioned way; by hand and with his heart. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why they have enjoyed such a cult like following by those in the know.  If you’ve never seen a surfboard taking shape or I guess I should say being shaped, it’s an amazing process. Basically the shaper begins with a blank sheet of foam. Much like an artist begins with a blank piece of canvas, the shaper then begins to impart his or her personal preferences into what they believe will be the best shaped board. The big production shops have machines that are programmed into cutting the foam based upon the input from a computer. Ole on the other hand, measures out the board (utilizing his drafting skills) and then begins cutting the foam with a power shaper (utilizing his wood working ability). After he finishes the board and everything looks just right, then and only then he sends it off to the fiberglass shop near Paia and they finish it off with his color and graphic specifications.  Ole churns out about 200 boards a year and has done so for about the last 50 years. So, if I did my math correctly, that’s just about 100,000 boards!

Ole has had a few different locations in Lahaina over the years but has been in his current spot for quite some time now.  It’s funny when you have an image in your mind about a certain place and that place is completely different than what you imagined. On his walls, it’s a little like stepping into a page out of surfing history. Amid the shaping dust and tools, there are pictures of all things surf including Jimmy Buffett standing there with Ole and one of his long boards. When asked what his favorite board is, Ole reflected a moment and clearly stated, “The 9′ 6″ Bumblebee”.  (Gratuitous note to my family here, hint, hint, I have a birthday coming up….)

The time I spent with Ole was way too short but I sure feel fortunate to have met the man behind the brand.  I mean how many times does one actually get to meet one of their heroes much less get to sit down and actually talk story?  I found Ole to be one of the nicest people I’ve run across in a long time but I guess that’s what 50 years of surfing, shaping and living in paradise will do.

Aloha,

Jim

This past weekend, my brother and I headed to South Santa Monica for my first day of surfing this season!  I know, I really have no excuse to have not made it out earlier, but I know I’ll be hitting the waves every weekend from here on out.  Check out my brother’s rash guard below … you like?

This past weekend, the Mavericks Surf Competition at Half-Moon Bay (NorCal) took an unexpected turn when what some media outlets are calling a “rogue wave” (although they were not technically rogue waves, as rogues typically occur offshore) came and wiped out spectators.  More than 12 people were injured in the accident, according to CNN, and 3 people were hospitalized with broken bones.  From CNN:

They were “sneaker waves,” waves near the shore that are unexpectedly and significantly larger than others occurring at the time, said Larry Smith, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Monterey, California…

Saturday’s sneaker waves were the result of several factors, including a storm in the Gulf of Alaska, Smith said. The storm, many hundreds of miles north of Princeton-by-the-Sea, was kicking up high waves — 18 to 22 feet — well off California’s shore.

Don’t believe me?  Check out the video for yourself!  It sucks that three people were hospitalized; otherwise, it is kind of funny (and ironic?) if you think about it.  Perhaps fate played a part here, and wanted to give everyone a chance to take part in the comp. 

Weather forecast?  Freezing.  Swell?  EPIC!!! The Mavericks Surf Contest, presented by Sony Ericsson, will be going on throughout the day today near Half Moon Bay, CA, and in case you can’t catch the action live … no worries!  Ustream (one of my clients) will be streaming the event live all day long.  The stream is below!  The first heat will begin around 8:00a.m. PT, with the finals anticipated to conclude at 2:45p.m. PT.  You can also check out live event updates via their Facebook Fan page.

Online video chat by Ustream

Back in late July, one of the largest surfing events of the year flooded the beaches of Huntington Beach – The Hurley US Open of Surfing.  In case you weren’t around to check out the event live in SoCal, FUEL TV’s bringing it to your living room this week, with a highlight reel of the best moments of the week.  It will air this Thursday (yes geniuses, that’s tonight) at 8:00pm and 11:00pm ET (5:00pm and 8:00pm PT) on FUEL TV.

And in case you’re not quite sure what the Hurley US Open of Surfing even is, well, it was a nine-day event where some of the best surfers in the world came together to compete for the $100,000 first place prize purse… and it was awesome.  The comp. included big names such as Kelly Slater (ever heard of him?), Andy Irons, Mick Fanning, and CJ Hobgood, and up-in-comers Brett Simpson, Adriano de Souza, and Michel Bourez, to name a few.  Music and a fashion show also played a key role in event turnout, which will also be highlighted on the show.

If you can’t catch the event tonight (and don’t have DVR or TiVo), here’s a full schedule of when it will air on FUEL:

“Best Of The Hurley US Open of Surfing 2009” Air Dates:

• Thursday, 11/12/2009                                    8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT in SurfSpot
• Thursday, 11/12/2009                                    11:00 PM ET/8:00 PM PT
• Saturday, 11/14/2009                                     10:00 AM ET/7:00 AM PT
• Sunday, 11/15/2009                                       11:30 AM ET/8:30 AM PT
• Sunday, 11/29/2009                                       10:00 AM ET/7:00 AM PT
• Monday, 11/30/2009                                     8:00 AM ET/5:00 AM PT

Our favorite articles of the week; check ‘em out!

• Flippin’ Chicks Take Over Glamor Mag: A few weeks ago, Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, Hannah Teter, and Lindsey Jacobellis participated in a photo shoot for Glamor’s Feb. issue.  Check out the photo gallery.
• Shark Attack: This past week near Santa Cruz, CA, pro surfer Eric Geiselman was attacked by a shark.  He came out of the situation unharmed (less a destroyed board) but definitely a good reminder to always be on the lookout while surfing.  Please don’t let it deter you, though, as these types of instances are very few and far between!  Read the full article on FUEL.TV.
• Inside the Transworld Headquarters: A fellow female blogger, Shayboarder, recently toured the Transworld Headquarters, which is pretty close to my neck of the woods in SoCal.  Check out her awesome recap!
• Pamela Anderson Learns To Snowboard? Ha, a must read.

Now that October has past and November is finally here, winter is just around the corner.  But that doesn’t mean you have to trade in the sand for a pile of snow; winter can be one of the best seasons to surf!  But only if you prepare.  Preparing for the cooler temperatures starts with your wax, and ends with your attire:

Winterizing Your Board

Typically if you surf in the summer in warmer climates (no, no, this does not pertain to Oregon ) you will use a warmer wax.  However, if you use the same wax you use in the winter as you do in the summer, your wax will become slippery, causing you to loose your footing while standing up.  So when prepping your board for cooler water temperatures, choose a cooler (or winter) wax.  One good way to pick a wax is to find out the temperature of the water you’ll be surfing in ahead of time (try Surfline) and find a wax that is suitable for that particular temperature.

Winterizing Your Bod

OK, so, we all know winter is, well, cold, so the best trick to winterizing your bod is buying a nice winter wet suit.  Try to stick with something at a level 3 or above, and if you get really cold I’d highly recommend booties and a hoodie.

So now that your board and bod are officially winterized, you’re set!  Now get out there and start (or continue) surfing!

In putting together this beginning surf series (check out our tips for beginning surfers) we’d be remiss if we didn’t touch upon etiquette.  Surfing’s a great sport, but with thousands of surfers in the water at any given time, all banking on that “perfect wave,” there are a few “unwritten rules” surfers should abide by while hitting the tube:

• If you’re up and riding, you have the right of way (and if you’re not – get out of the way!  When the rider slams into you, you’re the only one to blame).
• Don’t drop in on another surfer; meaning, if you go to catch a wave and someone else around you has already claimed it, leave it to them and wait for the next one.  I promise, there will be more.
• When surfing in a group, never walk behind someone.  A wave could crash at any moment, potentially knocking that person straight into you.
• Choose your location wisely – if you’re a beginner looking to surf in a hot zone, well, don’t.  Leave the big waves to the more advanced riders and come back when you can match up.
• Respect the locals.  After all, who wants to be that “lame American who snaked my turf?”  Not I.

During my recent lesson with Bill Sharp at the Huntington Beach Surf School, Bill mentioned that good etiquette isn’t as well-respected here in the US as it is in South Africa, where he grew up surfing.  In South Africa, all surfers know and abide by the rules, creating a safe, proactive surfing environment with a good vibe.  But in America it can sometimes be a free-for-all.  I bet it would be pretty interesting to compare the two…

For more information on surf etiquette a a detailed rules guide, check out the Surfers Code of Ethics, developed by the Surfrider Foundation.  And if you take one thing away from this post, and one thing only, remember this – “Give Respect to Gain Respect,” as said by the Foundation itself.

Before I started surfing on a regular basis, I naively asked myself, “long board versus short board; what’s the difference?”  Obviously I knew they were different, but I didn’t know why.  There is, in fact, a world of difference, and in this post I’ll attempt to explain why.

As the name suggests, longboards are much longer than shortboards, often 8 feet in length or more, and are typically a bit wider.  The average longboard stands about 3 feet above its rider.  Given the greater surface area a longboard possesses, it tends to be a better board for beginners, with most beginning shortboard hopefuls gradually working their way down to a shortboard, inch by inch.  Long boards are more stable and easier to pop up on, and also easier to catch waves (especially smaller ones), which is why they are ideal for beginners.

Longboards were the first type of board created back in the 1500′s, and therefore they became and still remain a staple of surfing culture.  However, many surfers nowadays don’t actually ride longboards the way they are truly supposed to be ridden. – in fact, it is fairly rare that you see a person riding a longboard in true longboard style.  Most of the time you’ll see riders riding a longboard as if it were a shortboard, carving in and out of the wave.  Because longboards are easier to stand on and control, traditional longboard style involves intricate footwork, with the rider essentially walking around on the board.  One of the most famous and hard-to-master longboard tricks is called “hanging ten,” where the rider walks to the very front edge of the board and stands with his/her toes just over the edge.  Other longboard tricks include nose-riding and hanging 5.

Shortboards, on the other hand, are the modern rendition of the longboard.  They are much shorter in length – usually 5 to 7 feet or so – and though they are harder to get up on (they don’t catch the wave as easily so you have to paddle harder to get up) they are easier to maneuver.  Therefore, instead of just riding straight and playing around with fancy footwork, you can carve throughout the wave, making it more fun and active.

As I mentioned above, if you’re just starting out, I’d recommend going with a longboard and gradually working your way down to a shortboard (that is, if you even want to ride a shortboard at all).  My first time surfing several years ago was on a shortboard, and I was so discouraged that I didn’t surf again until just last year.  Once I tried longboarding, I was set.  A foamtop longboard is a great beginning board for first-year surfers, because they are even more buoyant than your typical surfboard, and they’re also a lot cheaper so they give you the opportunity to try the sport with less of a monetary investment.

Yes, yes, we know with several ski resorts beginning to open up nationwide, its easy to forget about that so-forgotten water sport surfing.  But fall and winter are actually prime time out in the surf!  The swells are bigger, the wind’s a bit more aggressive, and there are less people out, so as long as you can handle the colder water, late fall is a great time to hit the beach.  So grab a good wet suit and board, and hit the waves this fall, especially if you can’t make it up to the local mountains in the next month or two.

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