Local Surf Spots

Every surfer has a local surf spot which the frequent regularly. You may not be a local but you recognize other surfers and it is your favorite wave. You are always there when its going off and you know what conditions make the best wave. 

Not to mention what board to surf for any given surf conditions. But the best part about having a local spot is knowing how and where to wave breaks. Where to paddle to when a set rolls in and when to stall for the barrel section. Knowing a spot inside and out is one advantage of surfing a spot frequently.

Photographer Profile: Kyle Sparks

Name: Kyle Sparks

Years shooting Surf Photography: Three years.

Equipment: Canon camera bodies and lens and SPL water housings.

Favorite Type of shot: A water shot of someone deep in a barrel with great light.

Favorite Spot: Fire pits in Ventura, California.

Where have you been featured: Surfline.com, Transworld Surf, Malibu Magazine, Real Cheap Sports, Wetsand.com, Surfingstoke.com, The Whole 9.

Do you shoot in the water: Yes, I really like to shoot in the water because I like to work with the surfer and be a part of the session instead of just standing on the beach shooting through a long lens.

Favorite Shooting Conditions: An overhead sand sucking beach break just as the sun is coming up.

Favorite Surfer to shoot: Tyler McEelvaney.  We always end up getting great shots.

I love photography because.... it allows me to tell stories.  I come from a visual journalism background so telling stories through photos is what I am most passionate about.

My inspiration comes from.... good lighting.  I always look for the best light possible when I shoot photos. The better the quality of light the better the photo.

Something most people don't know about me is....I have a massive collection of stickers.  The current count is well over 1,000.

Surf Conditions

A lot of things go into making good surf conditions and a memorable session. The most important is the swell and what direction the swell is. Make sure you know what the prime swell direction is for your local break. Also check the tide and wind speed/direction. Knowing the conditions which make your spot break well is essential to planning a good surf session.

Firewire Surfboards

A few years ago Firewire Surfboards emerged as one of the leading surfboard construction methods and technologies. In a world of Tuflite and Carbon Fiber surfboards, firewire surfboards is completing to create the best and most durable surfboard in the market. But there unique board technology and love for the sport of surfing has lead them to build a competitive business.

 With a business that was only started in 2006 many are skeptical that this is just another quick trend for the every changing surfboard shaping industry. None the less, with top ASP surfers, such as Taj Burrow, riding their boards many believe they are here to stay. 

I was able to recently talk to Mark Price and do a little interview which you will see below.

Name: Mark Price (co founder along with Nev Hyman and some mutual friends. Nev has over 35 years shaping experience)

Brand: Firewire

Started in: March 2006

Employees: 95, including our own factory which builds our boards exclusively.

Price Range: USD$595 - $665.00

Shaping Process: CAD designs by Nev Hyman and Dan Mann and then shaped by CNC machine.

Interesting Fact: Firewire only uses epoxy resins and EPS foam. There is no acetone in our factory, we use citrus cleaners to maintain equipment.

Firewire Surfboards.... believes there are no longer exponential performance benefits to be gained from changes in shape. The basic design dynamics of today’s high performance surfboard have been refined to the point where only incremental improvements can be made.

The quantum leaps forward in performance have to come from new materials and methods of construction, which in turn will allow for further changes in shape, and thereby push performance boundaries forward. (see attached cross sections depicting Firewire’s unique materials and construction)

Ironically many of the worlds top surfers already benefit from some of Firewire’s technological accomplishments, although only by default. For example, the average top 10 WCT surfer rides boards which are built so light that they do have a small amount of flex. But that flex comes at the price of durability - with many of those guys actually saving their best boards just for heats.

Not only does Taj enjoy controlled flex that does not fatigue over time, but he’s free riding his same competition boards. I’m not suggesting our boards are indestructible, but in the whole PU versus FW technology debate, when people take a superficial look at the equipment endorsements of pro surfers and draw conclusions about what their own experience will be, this is overlooked.

In the final analysis, its not so much that Firewire has developed a COMPLETELY new performance characteristic foreign to surfboard design, but rather that we have refined an aspect of surfboard performance that was previously only available, and to a very slight degree, in the lightest surfboards built for the worlds best surfers.

Its a very subtle distinction, but the enhanced performance of controlled, sustainable flex, with the correct rate of rebound, built into a lightweight and durable surfboard cannot be overestimated. that refinements to the shape of today's modern surfboard can only produce incremental performance benefits. Exponential improvements in performance can only be achieved through new materials and construction methods which in turn will open up new design opportunities"

We now have Official T-Shirts

I am stoked to reveal a project that I have been working on for the past few months. It started with any Idea while brainstorming how I could improve my site and create a better sense of community amongst you (the readers). One idea was to have a t-shirt designed that could be sold to you guys. This has been something that I had always wanted to do since I first started this site a while back and It just seemed like the right time to move forward with the project.

At first I was very hesitant with many small issues, which could have stopped the project in its tracks. First off, I wasn't sure if I could find a Graphic Artist that could create a design, which would represent the site as accurately as possible. My second concern was, what the cost of hiring an artist for the design would cost. Lastly, I wanted to create a shirt that was priced to fit the average surfer's budget.

My first two concerns were erased when I came across Nicole Sexton's website. She is a graphic artist who does logos, t shirts, stationary, posters...the list goes on. Her prices were a little more than I wanted to pay, but definitely a fair price for the end design; which looks fantastic. My last concern was erased when I found out how low I could sell the t-shirts for.

The T-Shirt was designed by Nicole Sexton. Nicole is a aspiring Graphic Artist who creates great art, but also loves to travel, snowboard and she also enjoys the beach. After browsing through her site, I knew that she was the right artist to complete the project of designing a unique t-shirt. She made a great design and I could not have been happier.

I am please to reveal the Offical T-Shirts for The Surfboard Man.com - You can buy the shirts by clicking on whatever t-shirt you wish to view.

Who is Eddie Aikau?

Eddie Aikau is the man behind the Quicksilver Big Wave Invitational. But his story started many years before the contest was started. Eddie was born in May 1946. He was known as a fearless surfer who usually took the biggest set waves that rolled through on any given swell. He was also the first lifeguard for Waimea Bay. While being a lifeguard on the North Shore of Oahu, Eddie saved countless lives. In 1977 Eddie Aikau won the Duke Kahanamoku Invitation Surfing Championship.

At age 16 Eddie Aikau dropped out of school and started working at the Dole Pineapple Cannery. In 1968 he was given the task of lifeguarding the whole North Shore...by himself. He often battled waves of over 20 foot to perform dangerous rescues. When 1971 rolled around Eddie Aikau was awarded the title of “Lifeguard of the Year.” Eddie later signed up for a journey to follow the Polynesian migration between Hawaii and Tahiti. There boat later capsized Being the fearless man Eddie was, he started paddling towards Lanai to get help. He was never seen again. The search for Eddie Aikau became the largest Air-Sea search in Hawaii's history.

The contest was started by Quicksilver in honor and remembrance of Eddie Aikau. Every year 24 surfers are selected to compete in the competition. However, since the contest was first started, it has only been runed 7 times. The reason for this because the waves must be over 20 feet tall to run the contest. Later bumper stickers and t-shirts were made with the saying “Eddie would Go” in remembrance of how Eddie would always charge the big waves.

Walking on Water

Walking on Water, which was founded in 1995, seeks to reach and impact the global surf community with the good news of Jesus Christ. Bryan Jennings is the founder of Walking on Water and he continues to use his surfing abilities to share his faith with young people. Walking on Water started as a surf camp with ten students and has now grown worldwide venture. Although Walking on Water started as a surf camp, they are now best known for their surf films.

Their most recent film, “Noah’s Arc”, had over 150,000 people in live attendance. Aside from producing movies and running surf camps, Walking on Water also leads mission trips and speaking engagements at schools, churches and community events. Through Walking on Water, their camps, movies and mission trips have impacted over 3 million surfers and non-surfers alike.

Aside from Bryan Jennings, Walking on Water has many influential professional surfers on board including Damien Hobgood, CJ Hobgood, Matt Beacham and Noah Snyder. One constant need for Walking on Water is volunteers. Whether you surf or not, they are always looking for volunteers for various events, outreaches and day to day office tasks. They are also looking for volunteer writers to write articles for their newsletter and graphic designers to help with various projects. One exciting project they are working on right now is a new surf movie “Promised Land” which is being filmed on location in Israel right now.