Griffin with a soon to be surf thump!

Griffen // Shaping Trick

Griffin, still trying to figure out how to shape boards faster so he can surf more. (With his small arsenal of planers)

Rested // Relaxed // Back to Work

Hope everyone benefitted from a few days off. Excited to get back to it.

Photos: Cameron Oden

November 26, 2008

Who would have guessed what a significant afternoon that would turn out to be... the first day I met Kyle Lightner and Griffin Neumann-Kyle; as well as Mr. Theo Hetherington.

What started out as a simple interview for Grass is Greener turned into years of friendship and collaboration. Don't know where I'd be without those dudes.

Cheers, Amigos... here's to many more years of adventure.

The Pinwheel Model

9'2 Pinwheel // Sea Blue Tint

As always, hand-shaped by Dr. Griffin Neumann-Kyle in Stoking, California.

Nathan Adams Model // Dave Allee

Griffin is currently shaping me a 9'8 Nathan Adams model... I haven't really had a longboard since early July, since I somehow keep managing to sell my personal logs. (Can't wait to knee paddle again.)

Mailbox // Twinzee

After trying a board my friend Yuta Koide shaped, I got turned onto the idea of the twin+trailer fin setup; which is something I had never tried before. I had so much fun on that board, and loved how smoothly it carried through turns... so we decided to take a crack at something similar.

Griffin has it right now for a few weeks of putting it through the paces. Early reports are solid, stay tuned for more feedback.

Cameron Oden // Shaping

The multi-talented, Cameron Oden, adds another trick to his bag...

It's no secret that Cam loves small, wide-tailed surfboards. He has been kicking around the idea for this board for a while and decided to take a stab at it. With some coaching from Griffin, Cam shaped himself this little hully treasure.

Photos: Griffin Nuemann-Kyle?

Rhombus D-Fin by Gully

Raising the bar on his glue-ups, Gully did this checkered D-fin with little rhombuses instead of squares.

Here is Clutch Kile, glassing Gully's handiwork onto a new 9'6 Surf Thump for Ron Herman Japan. (As always... hand-shaped by Dr. Neumann-Kyle inside the walls of the Waterman's Guild)

Surfboard Scheming

Constantly discussing, debating, tweaking and refining... the joy of surfboards.

Photo: Cameron Oden

He's Crafty

Griffin Neumann-Kyle is the man behind the mask.

Classic Almond Logo Pocket Tee

Photo: CamOden

Expeditious Quadfish

Expeditious: immediate, speedy, nimble, prompt, effective.

This is an expeditious quad fish for Brennan; hand-shaped by Mr. New Man Coil.

Quick Look At: the Sandia Fish

Sandia Fish from Almond Surfboards on Vimeo.

Griffin NK | Blue Magazine

Blue magazine did a feature on 9 longboard shapers who shape pigs. The list included Jim Phillips, Michel Junod, Gene Cooper, Dano, Matt Calvani, Chris Christenson, Robin Kegal, Tanner Prairie, and our own Griffin Neumann-Kyle.

Skills to Pay the Bills

Griffin Neumann-Kyle uses the Skil-100

Photo: Cameron Oden

Griffin NK | Quadkumber

Griffin, pushing his 5'6 quadkumber through some sizable Newport surf.

Screenshot: Cameron Oden

Almond-Shaped Keels

Almond-shaped keel fins // Stringerless Sandia Fish

In the sanding room at Waterman's Guild.

Keels by Gully // Stringerless Sandia by Griff.

Oden // Griffin

Here are a couple of hyper-talented dudes that I'm honored to work with; and have as friends.

Cameron Oden // Griffin Neumann-Kyle

On The Board Japan

Griffin and I hanging out with the Tomitas, chatting for a recent article they wrote about Almond in On The Board.

Double the Stringers, Double the Fun

Oden's new 9'7 Cy's Aquatic Almond.

Griffin's new 5'6 Quadkumber.