Kyle Lightner for VANS

Kyle Lightner for Vans t-shirt available at Thalia.

These 2 photos are shots Kyle took of Dave and Griffin back when we first started hanging out and working together. The top one is me holding the 'cordless' board pre-glass job. The second one is Griffin crouching down inspecting a 1964 Hobie board that we were talking about, as inspiration for some of the first longboards we did together.

It was complete coincidence that Vans happened to put photos of Griffin and I on the same shirt.

Even more of a longshot that they would use those photos for a KL X VANS Billboard in NYC and SF. (pictured below) Stoked for you Kyle.

Novosel Photos at Blackies

Keith Novosel came out and took some photos at Blackies last week.  Waves were marginal, but Keith is a champ behind a lens.

King Rat on his 9'3 Log Rhythm

Maddox on his 9'4 Lumberjack

Taylor on his 9'4 Surf Thump

9'4 Cordless

Worth the Wait...

I've been surfing the cordless log all week, and having a blast.  It's much more lively than the 10 footer I've been surfing for the last couple years.

I was so excited to surf it the first day, that I picked up Levi and bolted to the beach... forgetting to get my wetsuit.  The sun was just setting, so it was a do-or-die decision.  Needless to say I paddled out at Blackies in trunks on Monday evening.

The water wasn't as cold as I had anticipated.  I surfed for 30 or 40 minutes until it was too dark.  I was so excited about the new log, that I don't even think I touched the water.  I was skipping across the surface while I paddled out.  Big thanks to Ronnie for letting me steal his wave to get my first solid noseride on it. 

Candy Coated Cordless

Finally got my cordless board back from the glass shop... and I couldn't be happier with it...

3 other logs came back today as well.

Gregory Swanson, with his new Lumberjack

Cordless

Here is a portrait that Lightgnar took of my with the first "cordless" Almond board.  No power tools at all in the shaping of this 9'4 log. 

Shaping Pics

Here are a few pictures Megan took of Jeremy and Dave shaping last week...

Dustache

Fine tuning

Almond is going CORDLESS...

In an effort to bring the enjoyment, peacefulness and smile back into shaping, I am giving my power planer a break. Starting with my personal 9'5 Log (in progress), I am going to shape using exclusively hand tools. It's not an effort to be more environmental, or to save electricity at all.  I started working on by new board with just a hand saw, a surform, and a block plane... it was slow at first, but I soon realized that it was the best time that I've ever had shaping.  No noise, no mess, no rush.

So for the time being, I'm going to pursue this new found method of simplicity.  Most the reason I shape is because it's relaxing when the surf is flat.

I've been using Homeblown's Biofoam blanks for a while now, not entirely because of the whole environmental thing, but it's such an easy medium to work with.  No itchy eyes or skin.  These days, I can pull out a blank, throw it on the racks, turn on some tunes, work on it for a while, dump out my bucket of shavings, dust off the front of my t-shirt, and be done.  It's been such a perfect set up.

The first electricity-free log should be heading to the glass shop soon.  I'll keep you posted...

Keep Stylin'

-Dave