Blue Panel Pig

Chris from POA Films shot this at Sliders Point during our #peelgrimage to Southern California.

Nick Maimone

Nick Maimone is a San Francisco shaper who was born in New Jersey in the late eighties. Nick's family was the adventurous sort, who inspired him to stay outside. Before Nick was born, his parents lived in Redondo Beach, where his father pursued professional diving and underwater photography. "Whether it be frozen (snow) or in its liquid form, we were in it. Sometimes knee deep, sometimes consuming us whole."

As Nick grew older, his appreciation for the ocean and art lead him to focus on geometry and physics in school. "I wasn't really interested in other classes and judging from my grades they weren't too interested in me either." Following high school, Nick attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where he earned his BFA in Sculpture. In the process Nick "... had the opportunity to develop not only my hands-on and process oriented skill sets, but my conceptual and philosophical mind. I came out of college with experience in welding, blacksmithing, carpentry, painting, sculpture, philosophy, casting metals, printmaking, and everything in between."

Following his formal art education, Nick moved across the country, settling in San Francisco where he re-discovered his passion for the ocean and began shaping his own sticks. After building boards for himself and a handful of friends, Nick launched Our Daily Shred, the name under which he hand shapes an assortment of surfboards. After following Nick on Instagram for the last year, I decided to send him a couple questions in hopes of learning more about both his boards and his (new) business.

Mr. Rodgers

Our friend Mick Rodgers surfing his signature stick, the Mr.Rodgers Model, near Encinitas, CA.

Trevor and Ryan

Trevor Gordon and Ryan Lovelace surfing 7'8" and 7'4" round-pin v.Bowls somewhere in So-Cal.

v.Bowls

Ryan Lovelace is a "freelance surf-craft builder" making some of the strangest sticks I've ever seen. Based out of a bus he's converted into a bohemian abode, Ryan builds all of his boards from beginning to end. Some might seem odd if you're unfamiliar, others will appear obvious if you're interested. Ryan builds v.Bowls, Flex Spoons, finless asymmetrical shapes, displacement hulls and all sorts of single fins. A craftsman, yes, but Ryan is also experimenting and evolving his shapes - nothing stays the same.

While surfing in Costa Rica last week, an East Coast kat paddled past me aboard some strange kind of craft. And so I asked, "What sorta stick is that?" To which he replied, "It's a 7'8 v.Bowl made by this guy..." I interject. "Ryan Lovelace?!" Yes, says the surfer. "It's amazing, I can catch anything on it." Thus began my research into Ryan's v.Bowls, a surfboard that is "Templated with Wayne Lynch's Evolution Board in mind; using thin, modern rails with lots of hard edge in the tail." Featuring wide hips, a shallow vee and a slight hull near the nose, Ryan's v.Bowls are, as far as I can tell (and from what I've seen), the perfect midlength board for just about any occasion.

Beatles, Bikes and Boards

Sir Paul McCartney played a sold out show at Safeco Field on Friday night. 45,000 people. Apparently he's popular. And while Paul played 'Hey Jude' to a swirling mass of moms and dads, us creatures of the unusual stood shoulder to shoulder, cold cans in our claws, admiring the work of quite a few craftsmen. Bikes built not to set land speed records, but to transport someones soul. And surfboards shaped in the sixties, when surfing wasn't a sport. Two Tribes sharing a space, exchanging ideas.

There were friends, and friends of friends, and even some family. There was talk of travel - breakdowns and bad days and secret surf spots down south. And while our friend Paul made parking a pain in the ass, people still showed (much appreciated, I might add). Probably because motor bikes and surfing boards feed a feeling, and if you've experienced one, you can appreciate the other. Follow the link for a few photos from Friday nights Two Tribes show, our second annual custom motorcycle and classic surfboard celebration.

Flexpig

Check out this fantastic bit of film featuring the COOPERFISH Flexpig. Now that's my sorta swine!

Bing Surfboards

Bing makes beautiful boards. Everything from purple pigs to sexy single fins. Shaped by hand in sunny Southern California, Bing is a brand that's been around for awhile. Founded by Bing Copeland and Rick Stoner in 1959, the brand has transformed over time, however they've managed to maintain the two most important parts: quality and craftsmanship. Their current facility, an enormous warehouse dedicated to shaping and glassing surfboards, epitomizes my 'Made in America' mantra. Brand new boards line the walls when you walk in, ready to be shipped overseas. People in funny face masks are everywhere. The sound of spinning cylindrical things echoes through the hallways. It's an operation, building boards. One that requires a great deal of effort and enthusiasm.

We arrived around noon on Monday, because the boys at Bing spend their mornings surfing a spot near their house. Adam was the first one I found - limping around outside, bamboo cane keeping him upright (apparently he dropped a big barrel of resin on his foot a few days earlier). A classic California kid, Adam is everything you'd expect to see. Tan, kinda tall, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, with his hair combed over like someone from the sixties. I introduced myself, shot the shit for a few and then followed Adam upstairs where I came into contact with Kyle, Margaret's right hand man. He showed me around the shop, starting with where Matt (Calvani) shapes surfboards. Honestly, I don't remember which way we went - start to finish or whether we skipped a few steps - but whichever way it was, I got a good idea of how it all happens, and how difficult it is to do.

When we returned to the room where all the boards await their box, Adam arrived with my brand new BN Lightweight. A beautiful board. Everything I'd imagined. We spoke about where to surf, which place had the best burrito, what it's like living across the street from wonderful waves and how hard it is to be a surfer in Seattle. They seemed stoked. And honestly, it wasn't until we pulled outta the parking lot that the significance of our visit really settled in. I mean, not many people get to see where something is shaped, where it comes to life - the process and the people. It was extraordinary. I just hope that the shitty photos I took while walking around will give you a feel for what they've got going on.

Stripes & Strawberries

I just bought a BN Lightweight. Matt Calvani describes it as "an overall lighter, more versatile traditional log with all the noseriding functionality minus the weight." It measures nine feet eight inches long and features a single bass stringer, lighter glassing than their Original Noserider and has a single fin box. Sounds good. But why did I buy this board? Honestly, it all started when I borrowed Matt's BN Lightweight when we were in Mexico a few months ago. It was everything I wanted in the water - fast along the face, trimmed well from the tip and turned like a traditional log. It was wonderful. I surfed everything from four foot peelers to eight foot A-frames. I couldn't help but want one! And I felt like it would be the perfect companion for my Feral Pig.

One evening, after two or three tacos and more than one Modelo, I sat down and drew a surfboard in my Moleskin. I'd brought a jail-striped shirt with me to Mexico, as well as a pair of strawberry red surf trunks. The combination made it easy to see myself in photos and film - pretentious asshole I am. Anyhow, it's what inspired the aesthetic, so when we returned to the States I sent my sketch to Matt's wife, Margaret. She called me a couple days later, asking all kinds of questions. After we'd settled on the number of stripes, the type of tint and how long I wanted my board to be, she emailed me an invoice. Done deal. Fast forward a few months and Margaret emailed me again, this time telling me that my board had been built. A photo followed. I could hardly contain my excitement. It's everything I expected it to be. We're going to So-Cal real soon, and I'll be bringing the board back with me. Until then, follow the link if you'd like to see my new stick.

Man Bear Pig

Tyler Surfboards test pilot, Mike Siordia, sliding their new 'Man Bear Pig' model.

Nine Eight Noserider

After borrowing a Bing BN Lightweight last month - and surfing a somewhat secret spot down south - I came to the conclusion that I would like one in my life. A 9'8 noserider with a custom color scheme. The board, which Matt Calvani describes as "an overall lighter, more versatile traditional log with all the noseriding functionality minus the weight," comes with a single bass stringer, lighter glassing and a full size fin box. An excellent addition as far as I'm concerned.

So, in order to acquire said surfboard, I've decided to sell a few sticks. A friend already bought my Becker, and, thanks to the salty scum at Stoke Harvester, I should be able to sell the Blue Banana before too long. But what do I want my new log to look like? Howsabout a bright red body with big black-and-white jail stripes?! You can see the shitty sketch I sent to Margaret this morning. I'm pretty sure it'll be prettier in person. And since we're planning to pick it up sometime this spring, I should be able to surf it in So-Cal. Stay tuned!

Pretty Pig

I've been playin' with the idea of picking up another Pig. Classic, not Feral. I know, I should probably surf something else - maybe a Mini Simmons or an Original Noserider - but there's something about the swine. Maybe it's them wide hips or that goddamn D-fin. I've talked about it before, Pig Fuckin' and whatnot. Anyhow, in looking for inspiration I stumbled upon this pretty lookin' Pig. Something straight outta the sixties. With a one-inch redwood stringer, tail block and a glass-bead wood fin. I do desire.

Nine Six Triumlux

Robin York, Senior Editor at Blue Surf and Travel Magazine, spent some time at Bing Surfboards chatting with Matt Calvani about his new board, a 9'6" Trimulux with a Bavarian flag on the bottom.

Brought to you by Bing

When most people get married, they end up with all kinds of shit they already own. Toasters and towels, sheets and silver serving spoons. Gifts from grandma. So when Ms.Would and I were deciding what to do for our wedding, we figured that instead of allowing our friends and family to spend their scratch on that sorta stuff, we'd ask them to help us buy a couple of Bings. We soon heard the screechy sounds of nanny-nanny-boober-cakes. "Surfboards! You guys registered for surfboards?!" Not sure why she was so surprised. We surf almost every weekend and neither one of us had ever bought a brand new board. So why not skip the shit and get ourselves some new sticks?!

Pinwheel

I'm pretty sure I want a pintail. Something smaller. Not as long as the rest of my logs. And maybe a bit more responsive. Something that'll be fast along the face. For the Fall, when the waves finally wake up. After a couple of internet queries I came up with this - the Pinwheel. It's an Almond that was only available overseas, but has since been brought stateside.

It's narrower than the rest of their current collection and comes standard with either a single fin box or a glassed on Pin Fin. Featuring down-rails in the rear and a pointy pintail, this Almond is "a favorite for lighter-weight surfers and those looking to get a little more responsiveness out of their turns." Well, I'm definitely a lightweight and could use a board that moves about a little better. And I really like the way it looks. So I suppose I should add this to my #wishlist.

Ten Foot Feral Pig

We bought a Bing. Two actually. A ten foot Feral Pig and a nine eight Silver Spoon. They'd been waiting for us at Wave Hounds. A few of the things we'd hoped our wedding fund would allow us to afford. You know, instead of silverware. The pig is a bastard, though. An unwanted wave riding apparatus. No, really. It was ordered for someone else. But he didn't like the big blue fin. It wasn't what he wanted. So when I showed up at the shop, there were two Feral Pigs. A white one with a clear resin fin and a cedar stringer, and this one, a blood red bastard with a balsa stringer and a blue fin. Todd had it listed as 'extra' in his inventory. A board that didn't belong. But when I picked up that pig, felt it's fat, ran my fingers across it's feral face, I knew that big pig bastard belonged to me!

Fancy Footwork

Karissa can't make up her mind. One minute she wants a Surf Thump, the next a Nathan Adams. So on Friday, when she shoulda been working, she instead sent me this - a short video featuring Cyrus Sutton surfing an Aquatic Almond. Guess I'll add another log to her ever growing list. This one's a 9'7" pintail with a step deck, and was designed by Sutton specifically for surfing Cardiff Reef. According to Almond, "The outline is extra wide for stability and planning through sections... and the pintail has a slightly tucked rail for lively turns." Click here to learn more about Cy's Aquatic Almond.

Ten Foot Bing Pig

I believe it was February when my friend Derek bought a Bing. A ten foot Feral Pig to be precise. It was a custom job. Black rails with a cream and teal two-tone stripe. A big ol' D fin. Some other stuff. A real stunner. Like a sexy lady in a short dress. Anyhow. Last weekend Derek dragged his Bing to the beach, and on Saturday asked if I'd like to take'r for a slide. Hell yes I did! I paddled the Pig out around sunset. There were plenty of people in the water. Knew almost all of them, though. First wave I went for was waist high. To the left. Oh, what smooth sailing. That big bastard drove down the line. Like a Cadillac. And I love Cadillacs. Took a few trips to where there shoulda been wax ;) Had everyone looking green with envy. Really complimented my surfing style. Arms up as I threw the thing around, fast forward. Fuck. It was so much fun! I dreamed of big Pigs that night. Paddling effortlessly into every wave. It's hard to explain, really. Like nothing else. I loved it. I'm sold! Click here to learn more about Bing's Feral Pig.

Wefi Surfboards

Randy Weflen shapes beautiful cedar surfboards using salvaged wood from the west coat of Vancouver Island. This short film by Mark Wyatt documents his creative process and some of the surfboards he's shaped. Click here to learn more about Randy and his company, Wefi Surfboards.

The Blue Banana

Picked up a 9'6" Harbour 'Banana Model' on Saturday. According to their website, "the original Banana Model was designed in 1963 - it was yellow and just happened to look like a giant banana in the surf. It was unique in that it had significantly more rocker than the typical surfboard built during this era and may have been the first board designed with real rocker."

And while the board does have a bit more rocker than your typical stick from the sixties, it's still fairly flat. At nine feet six inches, my blue banana has an 18" nose and is 22.5" wide. The tail measures 14.5" and it is roughly 3.25" thick. Attached to the tail is a 9.5" single fin made by the Fibre Glas Fin Co.