Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25037
colu mn: gea r_ 1 JUSTICE SHORTBOARD, 6'3" 1 Shaper: Bob Yinger Design evolution has led to this. All the refinements for more sensitivity and control have resulted in high per formance boards like this. The vast majority of surfers ride very similar boards in all but the biggest surf. But irs not for beginners. It's a board you work up to. It needs attention throughout the ride and doesn't have the stability or paddle power of bigger boards. Once you're ready this is the board that will improve your surfing and take you where your imagination already is. Solid Surf. 619-273-7873. $350-365. r.====1 NEV RETRO ROCKET. 6'2" Shaper: Nev Hyman Some boards you just know are going to be fun and this is the perfect example. The Nev is a little wider for more stability and flotation. but with most of the high-performance characteristics found in a short- board. The Retro Rocket is the perfect board for the person who's cutting back on surf time-whose paddling stamina may be flagging but who still wants to do the tight turns and off-the-lips. That expanded girth also helps the ripper who. because of weaker waves. needs help with speed without sacrificing the ability to snap out turns. This is a step up on the performance side of boards. Available at Surf Ride Boardshop. 760-433-4020. $405. Nev Future Shapes. 41 5-332-3512. How to choose the board-or boards-you need for wave-chasing travels 1. GET THE SCOOP: Find out what kind of surf you will be riding. Is it going to be a sheltered sand-bottomed cove or a long reef point right in the path of huge deep-water cyclone ground swells? Learn this stuff. Be realistic and be prepared. This is the basis for designing your quiver. 2 CARRYING TOO MUCH IS NO FUN: • One surfboard is light, but five can be "herniatic." If you'-re going to be surfing a variety of waves, or don't know what to expect, don't get too specialized in your board choices. You don't need one for every type of condition. Forget the huge rhino-chaser if you' re headed for that sandy little cove. Two to three boards should get you through a wide variety of conditions. 3. COME CLEAN: Be honest about your abilities and expectations. Surfboards can vary greatly in relation to ability and surfing style. Whether you pick one out at your local shop or order a cus- tom board, finding what fits you and your surfing level is the key to having fun right away. Shop guys and shapers can help you pick out the right board, so tell them the truth. I BI RTH OF A BOARD Boards start as a crudely pre molded chunk of foam. called a blank. which is sawed. ground and sanded down to a desired shape. Though some companies use com puterized router machines to rough out their boards. all are hand-fin ished by a shapero The result is the finished blank-the foundation and soul of the board. Shapers are artists in the truest sense of the word. The finished blank is (fiber)glassed. usually by a red-eyed man suffering from the obvious side-effects of inhaling too many liq uid polyester resin fumes. These are brave men. largely responsible for the strength and longevity of your board. They drape layers of fiber glass and squeegee quarts of resin over the finished blank for that hard shelled love vessel: your surfboard. 1