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February 2, 2008
I am now selling boards
at Wave Front Surf Shop in Ventura, just 2 blocks from the point. I've
updated my
Surfboards for Sale page with the shop info. I will be
putting up a surfboard picture gallery as the site revamp progresses,
I just couldn't keep up with the sale page. Stock boards will be
filling in over the coming weeks, so when you are in Ventura go by
Wave Front.
D.R.
January 12, 2008
I've put up a couple
more videos in the
Video Gallery. One is Travis Riley
riding his dads Penetrator. The other is of Matt Riley riding his
Stubby Quad. A special board I made for Matt that has gone so well for
him that I will be offering it as a new short board alternative model.
I will be working on a
revamp of my web site over the coming weeks. Making some needed
changes and updates. So stay tuned.
November 7, 2007
I've added another video
clip in the Video
Gallery. This one is of Travis Riley riding an Imperial.
That particular board is 9'8 and weights about 23lbs. Travis weights
about 140 I think and is about 5'8". By the vides you can see
the board handles nicely for his size.
October 20, 2007
A week ago Wednesday
10/10 we had a one day west swell that gave us some overhead waves. I
was able to get out for a surf that afternoon with the quad long
board. Once again I found the power in that board and felt the
smoothest turns, turn backs and redirects of any multi fin board I've
ever surfed. Speed down the line and great nose riding.
This board is definitely high
performance.
September 19, 2007
Geez 3 months and no
comment in the shaping bay. What have I been doing? Working plenty
that's for sure. But actually, it's been a year now since I started
the
D.R. Surfboards Blog which is part of
the shaping bay. I've got something like 48 posts on the blog so
that's almost one per week. It's been interesting writing from memory
some of the stuff that I did in my younger years. Please check it out!
June 19, 2007
With the help of my long
time friend Dan Riley and his two sons Matt and Travis we now have a
video gallery. Our first three clips are of the new Quad long board
test riding. Thanks to Matt who patiently sits on the beach with
the video camera rolling while everyone else is surfing. As well
with help from his brother all the time it takes to edit all the tape
into some nice short clips. Check the new gallery.
May 27, 2007
I've got the new high
performance long board prototype in the water now. Plan on testing
it's ride for a few more weeks. So far the results are great. To read
some of the review go
here. This new board has some very
different design features that I put hours and hours of work into. So
far I'm totally stoked on how it's riding. And my first test rider
came back yesterday and said it's his new favorite board.
View the new board and
details
here.
April 2, 2007
D.R.
March 26, 2007
What's in the cue?
I've got a new high
performance long board that will be going out for testing next month
and a new twin fin board that I've been planning which will also be in
the test riding stages next month.
D.R.
March 3, 2007
I was asked this week
how I came up with the over all foil design of the RP2. Which is
basically the Imperial in a round pin. Please keep in mind this board
has come to me from Lance Eppard, my marketing/sales guy and something
I’ve put together with him. The over all combination of rail, rocker
and foil are all things I’ve used in my boards and know to work well
from years of surfing, fine tuning and surfing more. So Bobby, there
it is…
Now…the particulars. This board has a mild rocker curve forward for
trimming and a long and low rocker curve through the tail to
facilitate less drag... notice the projection right out of a turn? The
rails are a nice egg shaped ( more the pointed side ) 50 / 50 for
smooth wave-rail applications then turn 60 / 40 in the tail, again,
for positive turn projection. The bottom from rail to rail with
exception to the concave under the nose is flat. Which gives the board
stability and a good positive feel under foot.
Yes, I get stoked talking about this stuff. How weird is that?
D.R.
February 11, 2007
I attended a surfboard
design workshop this weekend presented by shaper Bill Thailkill and
hosted by the
Surfing Heritage Foundation in San
Clemente. It was such a pleasure to meet Bill and listen to him
talk and interact with all the guys that attended the get together. I
had a great time hanging and sharing ideas with everyone so interested
and enthusiastic about surfing and surfboards. An inspiration!
D.R.
January 6, 2007
Though I haven't posted
anything since the the end of October, I have been busy working on
what's in store for the new year. We've got an addition to the
Imperial line, the RP 2. It's a round pin version of the Imperial with a
hint of flat area in the tail section and a touch of edge on the rail
line in the fin area.
Picture here.
A few other things are
in the works too, we'll let the word out soon.
October 14, 2006
I've worked at this
surfboard thing for a long time and one of the things that has
bothered me is how much resin gets wasted in the lamination, or fiber
glassing process.
Tucking laps during laminating is
the portion of the process where resin is wasted. Well, over
the last month I’ve been perfecting a technique used to tuck laps
during laminating that wastes no resin and does a better job.
Saving
resin is a good thing and a better job, a better surfboard.
If you'd like to read
the whole story go
here.
D.R.
September 13, 2006
I was in a friends store
last week and happened to flip through the September issue of
Blue Edge magazine. To my surprise
was a short story with pictures about John Peck, written by
David Puu. The two happened to run
into each other while in Baja. John had his new board I shaped him and
went for a surf while David took pictures. Nice story and pictures.
Thanks for the mention.
D.R.
September 10, 2006
This may sound corny
but, I started a blog. Sort of an expansion of the shaping bay notes.
I figured it would be a good place to tell my story and talk about
surfing and related things. So for those interested on knowing
how a kid from California got into surfing and making surfboards and
all the other stories that came with that please go check it out. And
if you'd like to make a comment do that too. You can go to the
D.R. surfboards blog
here.
D.R.
August 8, 2006
I've got a new retro
long board I'm working... the Eppard Imperial. It's a straight rocker classic
single fin with 50/50 rails and heavier glassing to give it that
killer glide. The feel of this board under your feet is amazing.
The momentum and balance is like driving an expensive car that has top
of the line road handling. And the nose riding is as solid as it
comes.
July 13, 2006
Went for my follow up
visit with the doctor today for my shoulder. Being a surfer all
my life I sometimes get a tendonitis flare up. Last month my
right shoulder got really bad. Anyone that has this problem
knows, it's no fun. Pain so acute that life becomes miserable
day and night until the thing begins a slow recovery. After a
shot of cortisone from the doctor on my first visit things began to
improve. Stay out of the water 5 weeks and no work for 2 weeks.
So I've been doing the
catch up game for the last week. About all back to normal, ready
to surf and been shaping away. Thank God it wasn't worse.
D.R.
June 24, 2006
I had a friend recently
ask me about placing a 10 unit order for some of the new reissues I'm
working on, and some of the old classics for resale. It's great to be looked
after for work and I appreciate the interest but I had to tell him to
hold off. I really don't want to get ahead of myself and it's
important to keep on track with what I'm capable of producing without
getting overloaded. It all has to stay enjoyable and there must
be time to interact with people that are interested in my boards and
riding them. As well as time for the beach and surfing.
Anyway, I told
my friend that I wasn't in a hurry because I've got the rest of my
life to make surfboards. But not to worry, things would begin to
cycle and it won't be long before he has some boards to sell.
At this same time things
are moving along with this web site. Check the surfboards page
for a couple board pics. More on the way.
D.R.
June 6, 2006
Currently aside from
filling my ghost shaping responsibilities and filling D.R. orders I am
working on my new line of retro surfboard designs. These new
reissues are recaps and refinements of a number of chosen board
designs I have worked on or had the privilege to shape for the various
labels I've work for over the 45 years I've been surfing and making
surfboards. It's a great time to be making surfboards!
D.R. |
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