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Saturday, December 6, 2014

Shaping a Surfboard {through my lens}

"Hand-shaping is critical to the evolution of the surfboard. It has been passed down from generation to generation... Hand-shaping really is the soul of the surfboard and in many ways the soul of surfing itself. It will be a sad day if the hand-shaped surfboard ever goes away." ~ Greg Noll

Shaping a surfboard is an artistry, more of a craft than a science. I knew this, but it wasn't until I walked into the shaping bay at Shaper Studios did I truly appreciate it as so. If you're not familiar, Shaper Studios is a North Park based studio that offers shaping and glassing lessons, as well as shaping bays for both novice and experienced shapers. My husband was there to take a private lesson and shape his first board. I was there to document the process. I was actually pretty excited about the whole thing, but never did I imagine how much I would actually learn and how much the whole process would intrigue me. It was so much fun to watch each stage of the board develop. Honestly, I liked it so much I plan on shaping my own board in the next couple months!

Kory, our instructor (notice how quickly this became my lesson too!!) was really knowledgable and very patient. He gave you freedom to shape, but was there to check your work after each step ensuring the creation of a board that would actually be rideable. He also played old school hip hop which earned him bonus points in my opinion. 

I have the attention span of a two year old, but somehow Kory managed to hold my attention for the whole six hour shaping process. Okay... except when I ran outside to take a picture of that one really beautiful sunset... and those few minutes when I had the pizza delivered to the shop, but who can concentrate on an empty stomach right?!? A girl's gotta eat!!

On a very basic level I will attempt to tell you what I learned. We'll call this Surfboard Shaping 101. 

Every surfboard starts out as a foam blank. Surfboard blanks are pieces of foam that can be cut, shaped and designed into a specific shape. It is important to choose a blank that is relatively close to the shape and size of your desired board, as too much cutting will leave the foam weakened and result in a board with poor flex. A traditional fiberglass board has a polyurethane foam core.

our PU shortboard blank

After choosing the blank the next step is designing the template. The template chosen ultimately determines the outline of your board, essentially your final product. For this process we brought one of our boards from home (6'Lost Round Nose Fish) and used this as a guide for our template. The board we were looking to create would have approximately the following dimensions 5'9" 19.75 2.38 (31.1 cl)


tracing the template

Once you have the template traced onto the blank it is time to cut the board down to size. We were instructed to cut about 1/4" outside the outline. When cutting it is important to keep the handsaw completely vertical. Novice shapers have a tendency to rock slightly from side to side while cutting so that 1/4" allowed us some room for error.

cutting the blank down to size


After cutting the blank down, the next step was to shave down the edges using a surform. The surform is a surface-forming tool that resembles a cheese grater.


After the foam was sheared down to the proper shape, the edges needed to be sanded down with a sanding block.


The next stages involve working on the "foil" of the board. My understanding is the "foil" is the change in thickness along the length of the board from it's nose to the tail. This involves skinning the blank. Using a planer the outer layer of the foam (the skin) is shaved off. This is done in various stages for each part of the board.


Periodic checks with the calipers are important to avoid removing too much foam.

checking the thickness with giant calipers

markings for the nose rocker

A quick note about the lighting... Most shaping bays are equipped with side lighting. Side lighting refers to the fluorescent tube lights that run horizontally about waist level along each side of the board. These side lights cast shadows along the rail of the board which make it really easy to see imperfections or high/low spots in the foam that need to be worked on. For someone that knew essentially nothing about shaping when going into this I thought that was pretty cool!

creating the tail rocker


A spokeshave is a tool that is used to shave off any part of the stringer that is laying above the foam. The stringer is a wooden strip that runs down the middle of the surfboard giving the board it's strength. It is important to have the stringer flush with the rest of the board. The stringer was shaved down multiple times throughout the board shaping process.

spokeshave


Next it's on to the tail. To design the swallow tail another template is laid out and traced onto the board. This template gets cut out with a much smaller tool and definitely requires a bit more precision when cutting.

outlining the template for the swallow tail

carving out the tail

making the 1/2" double wing for the tail

more work with the surform


The final steps involve sanding and lots of it. This ensures that there are no bumps or imperfections on the board. The rails, as well the entire board from nose to tail should feel smooth.

taking out the final imperfections with the sanding pad

fine tuning the rails with a sand screen

signing the board

Kory inspecting the board for the final time

Two sessions and six hours later, I couldn't believe our block of foam had turned into this... So rad!!! Our board was now ready to go through the glassing process and have the fin boxes placed. Shaper Studios offer lessons on these things as well, but we decided to have them do it for us. With only a three week turnaround time we should have the final product in our hands before Christmas!! 


**Approximately one month later we have our board!! YEW!! We are so stoked with the way in turned out!! Looking forward to another trip to Shaper Studios next month to shape my board with Kory!!** 











Sunday, November 16, 2014

Blake and Shelly's Wedding {Santa Teresa, Costa Rica}

When I found out Blake and Shelly were getting married in Costa Rica I was beyond excited. I have been friends with the two of them for about 6 years now. I first met Shelly working as a nurse in the ICU at UCSD. Shelly is one of those people you can't help but admire. In fact, I absolutely adore her. She is caring & compassionate and one of the most selfless people I know. Blake is an extremely lucky man!!

Shelly and I share many travel memories. Our first trip and real bonding experience began in Haiti where we provided nursing care after the 2011 earthquake. Extreme circumstances and life changing experiences brought our friendship to another level. In Thailand we explored villages and immersed ourselves in a totally foreign culture. We slept in mosquito tents filled with termites and dodged moths as large as our heads. We spent countless hours on the beach, rode motorbikes and surfed terrifying waves in Bali. We've definitely had our share of travel experiences and good times, but this trip was different… Shelly was getting married!!! I couldn't have been happier for her. 

Shelly and Blake chose Casa Capitan in Santa Teresa as their wedding destination. Santa Teresa is a laid-back beach town located near the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. The town is neighbored by Mal Pais, Playa Carmen and Playa Hermosa. Getting to Santa Teresa is difficult, but if you have the chance to go it is well worth the trip. Getting there from San Diego involves a full day of flying, a night in San Jose, a ferry ride and hours in the car. If you've ever driven in Costa Rica you know what that means… dirt roads, lots of potholes and absolutely no signs to let you know where you're going! When you finally do arrive in Santa Teresa you'll find the perfect blend of white sandy beaches, surf and jungle. You'll find paradise. 

A bit about the surf… (I know this is about Blake and Shelly but the surf was too good not to mention, plus if you follow my blog you know I love surfing!!)

Santa Teresa itself is a stretch of beach mixed with sand and lava rock outcroppings that extend out about 100 meters or more into the ocean. At the right tide and swell these ledges can make for some heavy barreling rights and lefts. The first day we were there it rained heavily and the surf was a bit messy, but after that we enjoyed some pretty perfect waves. I would consider the break itself a heavy beach break. Due to the size, the strong current and the lack of a real channel, the paddle out at times could be brutal. We were lucky enough to have days with set waves well overhead. The best part… no crowds!!

Ok enough about the surf… here is my attempt to tell the story of their wedding day through my lens. It was really hard to pick a few… I wish I could share them all!!


Shelly joked around that she is a "tomboy bride". There would be no florist, no cake and not much in the way of "formal" decorations. For her table decorations she had friends and family gather driftwood from along the beach. This driftwood, along with the votives she collected from around Casa Capitan would serve as her table decorations. Her centerpiece was a unique wood carving found at Casa Dewa (one of the homes on the property). Instead of a fancy florist Katie picked beautiful flowers from around the house and made bouquets for both Shelly and her sister. With the touch of a few lanterns and the umbrellas she brought from the states she created an absolutely beautiful wedding. It was simple. It was perfect. It was Shelly.

the reception was held at Casa Dewa 

I had so much fun photographing the girls getting ready. There is always so much emotion and energy in the moments leading up to a wedding, so much anticipation and excitement. This day was no different. Shelly was truly in her element, surrounded by her girlfriends and just as beautiful and as sweet as ever. 

And so their story begins...


The night before the wedding a bonfire was held and paper lanterns were released into the sky. In Asian countries paper lanterns are thought to be a symbol of good luck and prosperity. The longer the lantern floats, the better the luck. During festivals and celebrations the lanterns are a means of sending wishes and prayers into the sky towards the heavens where they might be heard.

I know that night everyone was wishing Shelly and Blake a lifetime of happiness. Two very special people that deserve all that life has to offer. Congratulations!! I couldn't be happier for you two!!