board #004: a performance fish

Dimensions: 5'7 x 19 x 2 1/8
[completed in september 2011]

My husband is a competitive shortboarder. He likes to participate to local surf contests (NSSA, WSA) and to the CSF contest series with his friends. Last year he placed first overall in the master shortboard division and second in the Open Men shortboard division. He also tried a new division in which you can only ride a fish (he borrowed one for one contest and placed 2nd!!!). So this year he wanted to have his own fish.

The requirements are: the board has to be at least 15 inch wide at 12 inch from the nose and tail. For this board, the outline was a generous gift from my friend David Charbonnel, owner and shaper of SWOP Surfboards (http://swopsurfboards.blogspot.com/), who I visited last summer (see my "eat, surf, love" link: http://surfmama101.blogspot.com/2011/08/inside-swop.html).

The design was inspired by a Japanese drawing of modern Koi fish representing the Yin and Yang. I used an airbrush and quite some tape!

The glass was done by Global Glassing in Oceanside (S glass superlight), single cloth on top and bottom plus a S cloth tail wrap. Futures fin boxes and fins as wished by the boss (my husband).

backyard working station

fish on foam...

... fish trapped in glass

the Japanese sign means... fish!

a full load of Mere-Made boards

I told you it was a performance fish!

Even the dolphins came to greet the new board ;)

flying fish ?

happy rider!

Board #004 is also ideal for big and stormy conditions at Swamis
 (Photo: courtesy of Brandon L. from surflife.smugmug.com)