Sacred Craft Ventura 1

We just got back from the Sacred Craft Consumer show in Ventura. This was our fourth Sacred Craft, and wow did we have a good time! We had such a good time that we kinda forgot to take photos during the show! You'll notice that most of the pics are after it is all over! So hopefully you were there to enjoy it with us! We just wanted to share some of the highlights...

We were up bright and early for the board demo on Saturday morning with a nice quiver of boards for people to try. Jon believes that no one wants to go first so he always takes a board out to show people that "you can actually surf on those crazy things"! Everyone wondered why he wasn't on the beach talking about the boards...I told them that it's just his strategy...he is just priming the pump. For some reason no one really believed me.

Here is a brave soul getting ready for take off! That's Homie (Jeff Scardine)getting his first ride on a bluegill...he came in with his eyes looking like saucers!

Jon got a big surprise when a nice man came into the booth and started chatting about the boards. Our friend Bob Stassi leaned over and whispered hey Jon that's Tom Morey! If you have ever spent any time with the Wegener bros, or checked out their boards up close...you will certainly know that they revere Tom Morey! Jon is all smiles talking to one of his heroes!

About a hundred years ago when Jon and I lived in O.B. we would admire Cher and Steve from a far...Steve Pendarvis is an awesome shaper, and surfer, and Cher is an awesome artist and surfer...I always thought that she was the coolest lady ever...and as I laid on my towel I had fantasies of surfing and being as cool as she was...Thanks for the inspiration Cher! -r

We met and spent a little time with Reno Abellira
and his chihuahua Lola. Reno stole the show with
his personality and fashion sense. Rosa's heart is still beating a little fast. -j

Danny Hess's boards rule and he is a super cool person. I will regret not taking his invitation up to do some karaoke Saturday night. Word is we missed Reno bringing the house down with a rendition of "Purple Rain." -j






Hold on just a second...It wasn't only my heart that Reno set on fire! This is what we call a "Reno Sandwich"! That is Jon, Reno, and Richard Kenvin in the afterglow of the Sacred Craft.-r

Okay, Mike LeVeccia from grain and I are usually the designated photographers for good reason...neither of us really enjoys getting our pictures taken! But here we are, the Grain Surfboards booth was directly in front of ours, which made for lots of good fun!

Once the show was over we had a celebratory snack with Richard Kenvin and Kirk of the Swift Movement. The conversation soon turned to preparing for the next big events. Look forward to a new design with the slick surface of hairless dog grease. You may want to order one now before the dogs dry up.

Sacred Craft Ventura

Sorry about no new posts. We have been getting ready for the Sacred Craft this weekend in Ventura. We will have Alaias, Bluegills, Hollow wood longboards, Handplanes, and blanks at our booth and you can take them for a test drive at C Street Saturday and Sunday morning 7:00am to 10;oo. We will be at the top of the point, one of the last parking lots. Come by.

Jacob Stuth, Noosa

If you enjoy riding alaias, you must say what up to Jacob Stuth. He was the first guy to grab one with the intention of stand up riding, and has been blowing minds ever since. He is amazing to watch surf and has had a major influence on the design of the boards. Jacob works with bees and grows food and flowers for a living. Looking at the rooster tail comming off the board, one would realize he is gooing really fast.

photo; Chris Stevens

Visiuals From the Noosa Festival

The Noosa Festival of surfing just wrapped up. The surf looked pretty amazing. Tom had all his boards out for everyone to ride. Alaias, toothpicks, tunas, even a bluegill all the way from Michigan. I am pretty sure that is Cameron with a 20' long toothpick by Bill Wallace. At the festival this year they had a 20 minute long finless expression session during the contest and undoubtfully the funnest time of the event. This is Isaac Blyth on one of Tom's alaias, I am not sure of the size or model, during the session. It is amazing how these boards can slide down a wave but then engage to do a gouging cutback and then back into a lala down the line again.

All photoes by: Chris Stevens

More about the Noosa event to come

Foggy Bluegill Day

This is a nice video, showing how the Bluegills, and alaias, utilize control slides are used as a manuever for pocket positioning. This sliding is called the Lala. This word lala is found in Polinesian language prior to the arrival of European conquestidors. We believe lalaing is going to become a standard move in surfing like a off the lip or cutback.

milling lumber for a batch of alaias

Today was spent chewing on some rough cut lumber for alaias. The Sacred Craft is comming up and want to bring a couple of the models.

I use as much of the shavings as possible in mulch and my friend grows mushrooms with it, but when alaia season comes this stuff piles up. If anyone has a use let me know.

The hard part is getting one side straight, so the other side can be trued up on the table saw. Good, sharp tools and it helps to see straight.

I cringe looking at the scraps, Thats gold!

Bluegill Beach

Here is some more Bluegill footage. Sorry about the editing. I am learning. Soon I will learn how to remove the background noise. This was last week on one of the nicest days, weatherwise, of the new year.