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| "Speed, I am speed..." (Cars movie) |
Dimensions: 6'6 x 21 5/8 x 2 5/8
[completed in September 2013]
The story: shaping is a hobby. For a living I am a scientist in the R&D department of biotech called Illumina. Part of my duties is to make sure the lab I am working in is in compliance with the company safety rules. If I don't enforce the rules, I know someone, from the Environmental Health and Safety Department, who will be very mad: Keith. Not that there was an incident in my lab but we happened to talk about surfing, then shaping, then shaping Keith's next board.
The shape: one Saturday Keith came to my house with his lovely family (wife, baby and mom!). Keith "inspected" my shaping room and made sure I was wearing my PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) at all time! :) We then visited several surf shops including Surf Surfy which had a couple of Astro eggs shaped by Gary Hanel. Keith really liked this model and we decided to start from here. Back in the shaping room, I was facing a new challenge: shaping some channels for the first time... It took me two rounds to make them right!
The artwork: Keith gets all the credit for this very fun race car design. Although we met to "discuss" the artwork, I sat very very quiet mainly because I was enthusiastic by all the great ideas he was throwing in. Orange board with race car stripes? I am in! The day after I received a very precise sketch of what he wanted. The number 17 means something special to him and the board is dedicated to his son Ashton, born this year. The actual paint job took me a whole week: each color needs a re-masking of the full board! Plus it is always challenging to keep those lines straight. All the hard work paid off (I think)! The outstanding polish glass was made at Bing Surfboards.
Based on the number of new customers that Keith brought me (two new orders from Illumina since this board), I have the feeling that Keith is a happy and proud new Mère-Made Surfboard owner!
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| detailled instructions sketched by the board owner |
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| my first channels |
NICE!! and how unique to have a board racing down the line with its own number and all!! GOOD JOB as Always Ms. V!!
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