Surfboards Chinatown

Some of you have read about Joe Chen's "Surfboards Chinatown" project from a few years ago. On a recent trip to NYC, I visited his new shop. It's a classic Chinatown building, formerly a furniture warehouse. An empty area behind the showroom contains a single, unshaped, blank. Joe hopes to produce a lot boards in what will be the second phase of his project. The shop is definitely core and it turns out Joe and I went to college together (also in NYC). He has a solid selection of interesting boards, including twin pins, stubs and biscuits. There were few thrusters, no funboards and no popouts. He gives lessons (even in winter) and has an unusual selection of gray market bodyboards. After you check it out, go to the nearest noodle shop for lunch.

New Recycled Stubby for 2008 ...

A new stubby for 2008. It's 5'5" x 20" x 2 3/4". Many years ago, it was a Weber log. Then, it was cut down. Then, it came to me. There was enough reasonable foam to get this stubby out of it. It will have very pinched rails and be glass with Resin-X. This is the last old poly board I'll be recycling for awhile. It's going to be a single, glass-on. My next batch of foam will be built by hand, with EPS from a recycle/reuse source near Boston.

Surf Report: Waves were decent yesterday, in the 3-5' range. It got cleaner as the sun came up. Then it dropped off to nothing. After 12 days of nothing, we've had several fun days, with more to come later in the week.

Holiday 2007 Surf Report

December was a solid month for waves -- especially in the last week of 2007. The secret points of the North Shore had plenty to offer. I hope you all got some. The Friday before New Year was the best, with a super-clean dawn patrol (perfect tide, perfect wind, mild temps).

More of the Coque

After finding that old board the other day, I had to look around for more examples of this old surf clothing brand. Here is an early 90s scan from a magazine ad (the final issue of Bodyboarding no less). Perhaps this was a last attempt to save the brand in the post-dayglo, MCD, surf fashion backlash. By this time, I was probably wearing ripped jeans and a pendelton shirt to the beach.

Le Coque du Surf ...

Le Coque Du Surf. Go back to 1986. For a few summers, it was a bigger brand on the east coast than OP. Polos, baggies, moccasins, sunglass straps and man bags. All could be had with this embroidered Coque. You wouldn't think of coming down the boardwalk at Coast Guard Beach without a Coque polo and Vuarnets.

I recently ran across this old ride in the rafters. It has to be one of the few east coast t-band logs made in the 80s.