Watch: Dusts of Gold
With a block of foam, a Skil 100, and keen sense of curiousity, Californian shaper Ryan Lovelace builds a board that transcends success or failure but is "an adventure in expressing a curious idea".
With Lovelace, an experimental and accomplished shaper, it's more a case of 'because I can' than an exercise in rationality - less about thinking, more about feeling. The surfing is by Trevor Gorden, and the whole process is beautifully filmed and edited by Morgan Maassen.
And as an aside, if a young filmmaker wants to put a camera in front of Levi Jones as he reanimates an old board or sculpts a new one, I'll guarantee you pride of place on Swellnet.
Comments
An amalgam of many thoughts and theories and no ego ownership. And he’s not sure where the board is! I wish I knew. Looks like a lot of fun.
more about the wave than the board
Exactly. I have seen a lot of groovy short boards look great in fun and fast in long walled waves in video clips tempting me to get one for small waves. Then, I have seen average surfers on them in shorter beach breaks bog down and look to be pushing water on turns. Not so appealing.
Good surfer but the waves are the hero here.
Just for the joy of his craft .
Looks like the love child of a Rod Ball screwdriver, a Mackie sidecut flextail, edge board, NPJ front end; a hipsters dream board....
Wow a lot going on, lots of questions...
a) reckon a board with a tail like that has much longevity?
b) why doesnt he wear a mask whilst sanding?
c) was his crossover wave sharing mate riding a Gary Mcneill?
d) how is that board any different to any other Twinnie out there?
Cool clip though.
I couldn't get past b), especially after that shot with all the specks of dust floating around in the room. Dude's gonna get a bad case of emphysema if he keeps that up.
I liked the James Squire chancer ale cardboard templates he used for the tail!
Yeh where's the mask, sucking that shit in for a week would be hideous, imagine what he coughs up everyday YUK........
I'm seeing a Rod Ball sidecut rail, Lis deep swallow, Greenough edge, and a Mackie and Rae flex tail.
No one feature can be considered original but all thrown together..?
I didn't think the board looked like it went that well. Felt the confusion of all the individual design elements detracted from the benefits of said designs.
Whenever I see clips like this I just think "geeze it must be nice to have such consistently good waves that you don't mind spending a session on a board like that".
OT...but are you moving Dan? And if so, where to?
I'm always bloody moving. Further up the mountain for the time being, but the way work is going maybe back to Indo next year, but also maybe to Sydney, or what about Margs? Maybe I could try Torquay..... I think you get the picture.
I liked it. I liked the way the surfer didn't need to do too many body gyrations or pumping to make it go. I reckon Rodney Ball, George, Mitchell Rae, Mick Mackie and Steve Lis would all be happy to see this amalgamation.
no stringer?
no stringer?
i just love the way that bloke with the short hair doing cross-overs surfs. Not a hipster, just great style. If the board brings that sort of surfing out, it's got to be good.