Longboard Clinic: About Boards

It’s both easy and conversely difficult to write about longboards logs, mid lengths fishes etc. it’s easy because I’ve surfed many different boards for many years, and written about surfing for a long time also. But at the same time it’s not easy at all because I’m human. I have my likes and dislikes, personal opinions, tastes etc. So when it comes to writing about longboards, logs, mid lengths fishes etc. I’m going to keep it real simple. The shapes and designs I talk about here, and will add in the future are all boards that I’ve ridden, owned and become intimate with. If I haven’t ridden it, if I don’t know it well, I won’t write about it. It would be folly to do otherwise. This is not a ‘Board Register’ where shapers pay me to write glowing reviews on their products. I will be honest with what I liked and disliked about certain shapes and style of boards.

Yes this will be slightly biased of course; it’s hard not to be I’m a firm believer in only riding hand shaped boards that come from a shaper I can talk to. I don’t like imported machine shaped or moulded punters pop outs. Snobbery! I here you say? Well yeah maybe it is, who cares? It’s my choice what I ride. And I like to ride boards that have some heart, soul and thought put into them. I like to ride boards that have been made by a shaper who knows how I surf and can make me the appropriate board for what I want to do. But most importantly of all I only ever buy boards from shapers that I know surf their own boards well themselves. I know that I’m a hard case in this area a dinosaur if you will. But I just don’t care. Surfing is too important to me to waste time on a crappy board. The last point to consider when reading these pages is this. What works for me may not work for you. We’re all different, I can only give you insight into what I ride and what I like and why. You got to work it out for yourself about what works for you.

This section of Longboard Clinic is yet to be written, check back again soon.