SURFBOARD FACTORY – STILL WAITING

More random photographs from around the surfboard factory...what could this mean. I'll tell you! The continuation of a sleepy start to the 2024 surfboard production year.

It's not too much of a stretch to call myself a veteran in the surfboard industry. In fact, you'd do less of a stretch in prison for murder than the years I've spent spraying surfboards.

It's strange how much has changed, and yet, just about nothing has!

The first time I sprayed a surfboard in a factory, for a shop or customer, I can't remember which, was in 1989. That was at the Hot Buttered factory in Auckland, New Zealand.

Iain 'Ratso' Buchanan, running the factory at the time, quickly realised I had talked my way into the spray bay with no experience whatsoever. With the NZ summer underway and little alternative on offer, I was told to learn fast.

So all those years ago, I taped up freshly shaped surfboards, popped open paint tins, loaded the spray gun and fired away.

That is exactly what I still do today. Sure, there are chapters, as mentioned in the last post, where designs and colourways change, a bit like fashion, but it all circulates back to the same essentials. Here are the same materials as used for decades, now paint, spray or draw on a surfboard to decorate it.

The reason for mentioning my self titled veteran status, is to highlight the 'feast or famine' nature of surfboard work, and the experience needed to meet the necessity to hold tight and not buckle under the highs and lows.

The surfboard industry has a way of spitting people out. 

As Rory Russell once said, 'I've seen a lot of people come, and I've seen a lot of people go!'

While paint drys, it's quite good fun to wonder around the factory with a camera. Trying to find pictures, despite having seen the same things for decades. It's quite a challenge, but one that helps you look a little bit closer, trying to extract something visual from the repetitious nature of being around surfboard factories for so long.

Still, here are a few attempts from yesterday afternoon.

BRUSH WORK ON SURFBOARD + REEL

I can remember (somehow!) way back into the 90's when carpet drags were in vogue.

There were some pivotal years in the 90's when surfing turned a corner and got into its popularity stride. The surf shops were screaming for more surfboards to fill the racks. I worked in a few factories at the time, and each label, understandably, wanted their boards to look different than the others, especially when stacked next to each other in a shop.

This lead to several approaches, graphics and ideas that, quite frankly, were ridiculous! Especially if using the current generic stock spray of 2024 as a gauge.

To illustrate this, and without getting too graphic, a custom order from Holland wanted a cartoon squirrel with an erection the size of its own body on the deck, the entire length (excuse the pun) of the board. The bizarre nature of the request did warrant a photograph, but now decades later, it is nowhere to be found.

I shan't include a sketch of what it looked like, or how it fitted on the surfboard, I'm sure your imaginations can do a good enough job!

Luckily, in amongst the fevered attempt to keep the shelves stacked and custom orders pleased, there were some good sprays.

Old film photographs of my sprays from the 90's

Before the internet, the only way to have a look around internationally, was to examine all the surf mags cover to cover. When a new spray was seen, the next step was to decipher how it was done. Many were easy to work out, but the odd one caused some head scratching!

One craze, predominantly British (I think), was spraying through doilies. Using doilies as a stencil left the pattern on the board. I remember trawling through charity shops to find doily sets among the tea pots, cups and crockery.

There was a flurry of using random materials to create a stencil to spray through or over – torn cardboard edges, fibreglass rovings, coins, fishnet stockings...the list goes on! This could be done in pin-lined panels, or randomly to create an abstract look. Occasionally, if done right, it could look good. Today, many would look dated, and in my opinion too tacky to be considered retro cool or vintage. But nothing should be ruled out!

One technique that stuck around for a while was the carpet drag. We would fill a roller paint tray and dip an offcut of carpet into the paint, before dragging it along the foam of a shaped blank in various directions, usually nose to tail.

The common sense way to achieve this look, is to use a wide paint brush. But at that time there seemed to be an idea that each sprayer/factory was trying to baffle their counterparts. It couldn't be just a paint brush...surely it was an offcut of carpet or another material. Turns out a paint brush works just fine. 

So here is a short reel of a team riders board being paint brushed earlier this week!

POCKETS OF GOOD SURF – 2

More shots from the surf days that counted in March.

I'm pleased to say there have been more days with good conditions to add to March 2024 so far. I'm sure there has been a handful of quality moments in quiet pockets, at the right time and tide, worthy of inclusion on the list. I managed to capture a few, but of course not all; I like the idea of an abundance of waves going unseen, unridden, not photographed.

Whether under the darkness of night, the continuing cold mornings or empty beaches with perhaps just a couple of dog walkers, the ocean waves and their energy arrive to meet land. Sometimes with deafening force, sometimes with only a weak pulse, all the time moving. It's great that surfing exists; at its best, it is a human art form that can dance with planet earth's natural power, and equally, within seconds we can be humiliated, humbled and shown our insignificance. I find wonder and majesty in waves with or without our input. Very happy that the seas continue to move regardless.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, this is part 2 of 'Pockets of Good Surf'.

I like this last shot, at first glance, it's hard to differentiate between the surfers in the line-up and the seagulls. A little inside left nugget goes unridden and the seagulls don't care.

STOKED! 2 NEW PRINTS! (AT LAST)

I've been meaning to get some artwork together for Rem @rems_caff  for a while, but life is a specialist at throwing curve balls, so it took a little while longer!

Anyway, moving on, they are done. I am so stoked and happy for them to have made their way to Rem, Joe @stingingweever and Andy @saltwalls_gallery.

They are both limited edition prints, with a print run of 20. In addition to the short print run, is 20% of sales going to charity, namely, Cornwall Air Ambulance.

They are available @sleeplessink.com