Blowin, 1548732183
A breath of fresh air.
simba, 1548733403
good stuff
I focus, 1548735056
Shapers aren't they great, artists, engineers, tradesmen, philosophers, craftsmen and more, just generally out there people.
GuySmiley, 1548735275
Made my day that, Dick is a true legend. Ridden and kept many of his boards over the years Yes, I too was going to mention Dick with that Webber article.
....that full interview, did he get on to jazz and pop music as they relate to surfing? and there's that story of Dave he tells, thought you were going there above when he started talking about surfing being a mental thing, laugh your socks off, he is a very funny man.
jez, 1548739558
Hey Stu, seeing the webber vid reminded me of DP boards in Thirroul. One of his older models the pulse sounds pretty similar to the webber with a double concave deck And deep single concave. Keen to get one one day.
https://dpsurfboards.com.au/products/the-pulse
stunet, 1548740587
Hard to tell from the pics but I'll call in and check it out.
Thanks for the heads up.
freeride76, 1548741110
when I was working for the late great Lester Brien he ordered a quiver of Van Straalens for his surfari tours.
Dick came up with these incredible eps/epoxy mid length (6'6" -7'6") with a semi-pointed nose, concave and pin tails.
They were the funnest boards to ride in just about anything. Wish I still had one.
Backpackers took about 6 months to destroy them.
If Dick is reading he might remember them.
PCS PeterPan, 1548763203
A good mate of mine has bought and sold / destroyed sooooo many boards over the years , but he still has one of Dick's stringerless Fishes , He won't part with it . The strange thing is , it's still in great condition . DVS. . . . master craftsman !
Denyer, 1548763929
Had many DVS boards between my wife and me over the years. Got two in the garage right now. Lovely boards, great to surf and great to look at. If you want a custom you must be prepared to submit to the master and take what he gives you!
Would do a lot of good for a lot of intermediate surfers to go away from a CI/JS/DHD toothpick and try something with 1,2 or 4 fins and a lot of volume in the right places.
eat-your-vegies, 1548767315
Good interview
Dick mentioned Ronnie Godard
Can you have a chat with duck too
sharkman, 1548769958
love the interview , when are you going to post the whole interview?
truebluebasher, 1548774166
Same! Legend from before my time.
Dick Van Straalen was already a legend in 1976.
Paper Round + Paddle bikes/Outboard Boat hire earnt this Grom $160.
Exactly the right amount for a custom DVS...Shove your Paddle Bikes...Gone Surfing!
Typical trad 6ft 10 light blue bottom clear textured deck as orders were banked up.
So close to getting the Red Lightning Bolt...but would only put the order behind more.
Back then... Just before/next to Hot Stuff North Burleigh Gold Coast Hwy
By 1978 the leg (rope) ravaged the tail... Reborn as a proto 5ft 10 Fish.
[factcheck] 1978 DVS boards were being lovingly recycled...Not letting it Go of it!
Home reno won this cheeky Grom a bundle of Comps even a new DB/Geoff Darby.
Veggie couldn't wrestle it from me!
Free box/twinnie that came after were never as mental...
All my 70's mates only ever talk up the recycled DVS...Too good to waste!
lostdoggy, 1548786837
Saw a very standard looking early/mid 00s style step up thruster on eBay recently.
acrosby1234, 1548804541
You cant have the concave deck discussion without including the stretch SK8 deck. William "Stretch" Riedel from Santa Cruz was one of the very first to do EPS/EPOXY (there is no Poly resin in his factory) and one of the biggest proponents of concave decks on everything from fishes to mavericks guns. Would be great to hear from him on this
thermalben, 1548804738
Slightly OT, but Stu did an interview with Stretch in March 2015:
https://www.swellnet.com/news/design-outline/2015/03/20/stretch-riedel-share-cigar-modern-master
.. and an interview with Cory Russell (Torquay-based Australian licensee of Stretch Surfboards) in April 2014.
https://www.swellnet.com/news/design-outline/2014/04/01/shaping-shrinking-world-stretch-surfboards-australia
Lanky Dean, 1548808674
Think he was pretty involved with the open ocean paddle scene also ?
Dvs featured pretty heavily in blue horizon also. There was a red one AI surfed a lot.
Cult following from surfers for a reason. He gives you what he wants though. Never seen a dvs thruster ? Have you? (Just a question)
Spuddups, 1548818342
I like people that aren't afraid to shoot from the hip. They're usually more interesting. looking forward to reading the full interview. Yep, another example of good Swellnet content. Keep up the good work felluhs!
spencie, 1548826896
Loved the article. Dvs was always a legend to us (slightly) younger guys. Many of the good Qld surfers rode his boards and raved about them.
Finntim, 1548827071
I scored a mid length ( about 6'8) for 5 bucks at the local vinnies a couple of years ago and I rang DVS to verify and sent pics. He was well up for a chat and gave me the wheres and whens. Lovely bloke and a cracking board( with awesome colour!!).
Patate, 1548837515
Got an old pocket rocket thruster on gumtree from DVS, looks very standard and is my best board ever. (Later went to meet dick and ordered another one. His comment was so humble- « yeah, been doing it the same for more than 10years, they really suit some people ». Dick is true legend.(the new one was actually visibly different and worked a treat for my off season trip to Indo- he knew what I needed better than me !)
stickyson, 1548839250
Gotta remember he was still shaping single fin boards for Joe that where holding their own against the thruster invasion
Elliedog, 1548897488
Love to see guys like this calling out the bullshit...keep it up.
Cowabunga, 1548915032
I like that Dick is still out there doing what he loves and keeping open mind on the craft. I had a spirit of the sea 6'8" surfed it for years gave it to some grommets in Port Lincoln area in 77
velocityjohnno, 1548916229
You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.
velocityjohnno, 1548916408
Got some insane pics of Joe pushing the stumpy little singles in solid waves, so good!
memlasurf, 1548924894
Had a giggle about his dissertation on colour and thought about my wardrobe which is all black, white, navy blue and a bit of grey for variation. The only one to suit by palette is the carbon fish!
Tinfoil hat, 1548925823
Corey Graham. There’s an insta account worth a look.
Tinfoil hat, 1548925825
Corey Graham. There’s an insta account worth a look.
wingnut2443, 1548965160
"Like in the old days we used to glass with really wide laps up near the nose, and they'd taper down towards the tail."
And there ya have it folks, the little key to the whole 'flex' story that, from what I've read in the articles on here so far has been missed, missing (unless I've missed it somewhere?)... that overlay of cloth on the rails, that creates the "C" section that's stiffer than the rest of the board ... by changing that, the amount of overlay (i.e. width of the cloth) or they way it changes from nose to tail, etc. ... well DVS has given ya a hint into the abyss ...
wingnut2443, 1548965298
The other Cory ain't too bad either
https://www.instagram.com/cory_surfboards/
Super supman, 1548977016
bought a $50 van stralen thruster in bali in 76 from a money starved queenslander.an awesome unit.still lives in my mates garage after i stupidly swapped it for a new board. one of my surfing regrets. he doesnt surf any more but he wont part with it!
Super supman, 1548977210
heres bit of color dick would be thrilled with my old 8' 1984 mal. the clear glass has suffered the ravages of time the color just like new . lesson for everyone
orangefield, 1549009245
I bought a dvs micro mal a couple of years back. Was great hearing his solid 30 min sermon on many different topics when I picked it up. So much knowledge, experience and stories and generous with his time. The board was a cracker also.
3dfins, 1549064263
A true artist
taz-from-tassie, 1549161015
I brought a set of DVS quad fins a few years ago, they are the best fins, there a permanent fixture in a mini Simmons
spuddyjack, 1549230470
Excellent stuff Stu - what a no bullshit character DVS is. Looking forward to the full transcript.
PeteWebb, 1549275346
Just got back from a drive from the Sunny hoax to the GC where I swapped a cool chap a Firewire TT evo for a never ridden 6'9" blood red rocket fish complete with DVS keels. Features the concave deck as discussed above. Had more than a few DVS boards with the concave deck and like the feel. Frothing for an offshore day now. And yes...I'm not that young and have a bad back so the 6'9" will do just nicely.
bryonsurfer, 1549338565
Nice work Stu, seemed like that interview could have been prickly to begin with but you talked him round and got some interesting points out of him. Like the notion of a board surfing differently based on your head space.
saurusv1, 1549504639
Reading some of the above I've had a flashback. I used to surf Burleigh a fair bit in the 70's and while DVS and his band of ultra cool disciples used to surf 7ft plus drawn out pintails, young Paul Neilsen would turn up with his 6ft 3in (or thereabouts) and rip the shit out of it, Just wondering does anyone know if Paul is still surfing or how he is going these days? I think he was on the CT back in the day, great surfer - one of my faves!
Jockhobbs, 1549529702
Had a bad time a few years back. Got a board from Dick to cheer me up. Totally unexpected he wrote a very nice thing on the board. Of course the board rides like a dream. Great shaper, great guy.
Freeride 76, you might find the boards your mate had were his cut down All Rounder models named "Weiners"
seanedwards, 1552213079
Love my 6'8 DVS concave deck split keel quad classic fish. Board goes so fast it nearly enters warp speed. Also very much enjoyed going to chat to him while getting it made. Enjoyed it so much I'm ordering another board.
Bring on the full interview! :)
udo, 1574641862
When the rest of interview coming ?
Well surfed wave at Bells by Adam Robbo on a full carbon DVS Quad ..ex Rasta....although one Shaper seemed to think it looked/surfed like Shit..
stunet, 1574645095
Fuck....lot going on.
Blowin, 1574648908
You sound like you’ve got somewhere to be !
stunet, 1574651843
Aye.
But first all this....
udo, 1617591247
Full interview ?
Anyone want a cheap fun 5'4 DVS quad - seller will take $150
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-view-details.html?adId=1271343923
udo, 1685165049
https://youtu.be/URbqSf0gEIk
GuySmiley, 1685330357
Great clip DVS
GuySmiley, 1685330360
Great clip DVS
udo, 1702698923
29 / 1 / 2019
Paitiently Waiting for Part 2 .......
So is Leendert ...
udo, 1721510645
^^^
udo, 1749948947
Another 12 months has Passed Mr Nettle.