Let's pause for a moment from all our bilious ruminations to consider a holy trinity of thankless surf industry jobs:
Shaper, photographer, and writer.
Although all three roles are underpaid, shapers differ from photographers and writers in that they're actually necessary.
Trouble is, doing what you love is no way to make a living. But I'll let the talented youths of today test out that maxim for themselves.
Today we have , photographing the work of 23-year-old Santa Barbara shaper , of and .
Shapers getting some credit. Good.
PS - “No surfboard. No surfing.” - Wayne Lynch
Wait a second, don’t we hate on Alex Knost for acting artsy, bohemian and cool? Photo at the bottom left (and the fact that he likely is an SB trustafarian) are motivation to hate. That and the retro board shit. What the fuck…
Not only that, but that’s a sweet retro Volvo in the background.
P.s.
“No shirt, no shoes, no service.” - Abraham Lincoln
“No car, no driving.” -Henry Ford
“No paddle, no SUP.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“No postsurf-lewis, No trashing on surfers” by me
@ B. Rottmouth:
I believe Longfellow’s quote was actually: “No paddling gloves, no SUP, no dignity.”
No crack, no pipe- Kim the crack ho
“No simpleton lyrics and mediocre voice, no opportunity for surfer singer / songwriter career.” - Jann Wenner
or, maybe that was Edgar Winter.
“No woman, no cry.” - Me
“No potato, no famine.” . . . wait . . . never mind . . .
“No penis, no carpal tunnel.” - All of You
“No Milli, no Vanilli.” - Vanilli
“No hurricane, no Slater.” - Huey
“No DG, no LS.” - DG
“No Gwen, no doubt . . . no . . . “No Gwen, no No Doubt.”
“No Brooklyn, no sleep.” - Rubin, Horowitz, Diamond, Yauch
No soup for you.
hey kiddos!
thought id drop a line, and add some fun facts for you guys!
born and raised in seattle washington, been here for 5 years and faaaaar form a trustafarian…i make about $8k a year building boards ina boatyard 7 days a week and keep it REAL (im putting on my toughest face)…thats my nicest outfit :)
that car was LEGIT…i ziptied the exhaust on when it fell off, and it stayed that way for 2 years…300k miles on it when i gave it to the junk yard…i guess i am artsy fartsy though, but i dont shove it in anyones face, so you’re welcome. can i have my cool-club card back yet? pleeease?
smoochez…lolz kk byeee3e!!1!!!!11!
ps-stoked to be on such an outrageous blog…i am now 10x more aware of people’s nipple placement than ever before, thank you!
@Ryan
$8K a year??
Where d’fuck do I sign up brah!
Seriously though, why did you leave the Northwest? I spent some time there as a young lad, and even though I’ve been all over the world, I still miss it.
Smoochie broochies brodie noochies.
P.s.
“No strap-on, no date with Chris Cote.” - Confusius
*boooooooooooom*
^^
**Confucius also said that**
I love the puppy in the picture.
left cause if i didnt do it then, i knew i never would :)
glad i found SB, but i do miss the NW, im actually heading back up there tomorrow for a couple weeks….STOKED!
@Ryan,
(jealous)
Throw back a Dragonstooth Stout at Elysian for me.
Cheers!
I ♥ my shaper. Just ordered a new step-up rounded pin for the next season. Can’t wait.
@ Ryan L., waves were pretty lackluster in WA yesterday. But the water is relatively warm (~60F+). Not sure if you’ll be out there tomorrow. But if by chance you see a guy on a dark red fishy board, don’t be afraid to say, ‘Hi’. - John B.
I like my boardmaker Geoff Rasche of M10, he thinks about and works for the surfer. The surf is so fucking small its back to summer shit-
Arty not artsy.
Ha, Ryan I make twice as much as you making surfboards. So there.
I’ll make it easy on you. I won’t make a sound.
When the ASP has me deliver your pink slip, I’ll try not to wake the dog.
It’s going to happen, whether you like it or not.
We are over it playing the role of dancing monkeys for the inept ockers at the top of the ASP heap.
Money talks.
We are moving on. It’s a good thing.
Dancing monkeys are fun. I find making anything dance for me amusing.
I thank God and call down blessings on both Robert Weiner and Cole Simler every time I paddle out. Two great shapers who currently make the Ocean more fun for me!
Cool pics Ryan and Morgan, you two know how to use media! Can’t say I blame you for leaving the Pacifc NW, I left Bellingham in 2007 and never looked back (still own a condo up there but don’t plan on returning anytime soon).
I work in corporate america and wish I loved my job as much as you two do, keep up the good work, SB is glad you two are here!
ct
Love the shot on the seawall. I can almost smell the harbor.
@ surfy surfy…suck one.
you and your ritzy colorful glass shop…with like….REAL tools…and like…REAL squeegees…pushin’ the little guy out of the picture with your racks that aren’t “held together with dollar store tape” and might “not wobble”…psh.
whatevs.
You far NW surfers are even more pitiful and rewarded than us norcal surfers- a lot of shitty days with some gems that make it worth it- congrats.
Lewis, along the same lines of everyone else, nice shots and always good to see some love going out to the men who shape our craft!
Also, I see that with the K9 revolution tour in full swing that Taj’s Burro has had to step up and help my mailman deliver pink slips. That’s lots of work delivering bad news to all thousand or so of those shit surfers who aren’t currently in the ASP Top 8, one of K9’s BFFs, on the speed dial of Taylor Steele or cruising with the Modern Collective to be eligible for a wildcard. Anyway, I could go on for hours about this, but I’m sick of debating the future of pro surfing with an ass! This thing will play itself out in the next few months. Until then I suggest we put this futile discussion to rest!
Ryan rules!!!!!!!!
the kid is legit
Looks like Taj’s Burrow and my mailman have been very busy bodies.
Check this link for the latest:
Although, it still doesn’t settle the score!
Wow, fuzzy pictures of unfinished surfboards…
Didn’t imagine Taj’s burro would turn out to be Mr Big- What the fuck is going on Lewis?- don’t sell out motherfucker-
Lame…..Pretty Mollusked out
You guys are really,really talented…..Even Skip thinks so!…hahaha
……………clean up your shop!…
Just wondering. What becomes of all of your discarded surfboards? Surely, Alex Knost and Co. cannot be riding all of them.
@ Caligirl
I’ve got something that you could make dance for you. And I’m sure you would find it amusing.
watch the
or go surfing..i wish i could..
Hey wunderkinder, clean your shaping bay. I bet there’s a surfboard under all that foam dust and refuse.
Ms.Mailmanners,
Surfing will still continue to be all things to all people. Cash money will continue to be made from the diversity of all things.
But, the ASP droll tour will be relegated to a second fiddle-about tour. Right where it belongs.
On a second note, DM. Nice attempt at stiffing debate.
Something that the ASP is well versed in.
@Tom
Thanks! Rather watch this then join the zonies in 1 ft slopchop.
You should write an article about how a new system should resemble the Nextel Cup - I know its blasphemy to discuss Nascar, but it seems like a system that would work for the ASP and make it more exciting and less likely a winner is declared a few races into the season
Shoots, the girls on the LPGA tour make more money than the ASP top shelf.
ASP has dragged ass for way too long.
Without the creme of the crop who make this whole thing, the ASP would not have squat. Mismanagement is the appropriate label for ASP directors and executives.
This new revolution will be televised.
LPGA money list.
And this is before today’s LPGA British Open Million pound plus payday.
Oye. ASP mgmt are pikers.
lol @ Taj’s Burro watching lady’s golf on TV.
Someone by the name of Hee-Won Han makes more money than Bede Durbidge, who was number two in the world last year. A lot more money!
Hey Ryan, I think you missed the point of surfy surfy’s post. He was commiserating with you!
And where d’fuck is Hlooywood?
@ West Hollywood: I think you missed Ryan’s sarcasm.
Like I said we need an EDIT button or I need to sit closer to my monitor!
If that was sarcasm then he needed one of those little smiley faces(:-), because “suck one” has never been a term of endearment in Hlooywood which is just south of Santa Barberra.
No Blasphemy Rottmouth,. But I do pay attention to what massive amounts of cash money, homie, that women golfers are paid. And it is MOUNTAINOUS piles more then the AS freaking P has been shelling out to us male pro whores.
BTW, if I was to watch golf, I sure would rather watch women swing away on a course than men doing the same in slacks and polo shirts.
Yup, women over men for me, mate. After all, it is freaking golf.
suck one :)
youll all be dismayed to hear the knost hasnt ridden one of my boards to my knowledge, never met the guy actually…AND my boards arent in mollusk, i wouldnt mind them being there at all, but so far i’m 2 for 2!
my extra boards dont really exist…i can only build a board if someone orders it and pays for it…zero overhead = zero loss in $…so maybe im 3 for 3…
can you tell im trying REALLY hard to be accepted, here?
lovelovelove,
-R
It sucks dude but at least your in cal,I’m 24 have been shaping for almost a decade,(If you call dicking around with a planer and blank at 14 shaping) either way I have been in this shit an em here for the longhaul,I dn’t get all the money up front though,that just sounds wrong or really right,but anyboard i’ve shaped off just a deposit everyone has been stoked,I glass and all that shit myself too so don’t try to shortchange me,and they give me the rest of the money on completion ,and I’m fine with that,but your in cal and maybe westcoasters have that kind of money to throw around,but I’ll never to a gloss polish and I’ll never let knost ride one of my boards,guy seems like a clown more than an artist,but keep on keeping on,and get a catchy name,my initials just happen to be a disease that decimated china and makes you think of shaping masks,SARS
PS if you only make 8 k a year ,what kinda drugs you selling?
that was a joke BTW man I;m just kidding,I know what it’s like to crash on floors and eat leftover 4 day old pizza with shit growing on it it’s tough