My first recollections of being worthy of being called a “Padre fan” are from 1971 at San Diego Stadium in Mission Valley. Here are some things I recall about that season and the rest of the 1970s:
So Friday night it is... by Saturday morning all of us Padre fans at the PBSC/CSC Tourmaline Club Challenge will either be elated or deflated... I predict the former, and I just hope Chavez Ravine doesn't become Riot Central in the aftermath!
vince
What can I say other than i had great time assembling this trophy in honor of my surf club, PBSC, and my fellow members (and the greater coalition of surfing clubs) and their unwavering dedication to stepping forward and helping our friends in need in times of crisis.
Last year the money collected at the 1st Annual 8 Ball Bash at the storied West End in north Pacific Beach went toward one of our most treasured PB locals, Levy Fetiera. And to be quite honest, I saw Levy just today down at the lot, and it struck me that last year around this time I had my doubts that I would be seeing him again one year later, but there he was, enjoying the coastal breeze and soaking in the sun's nourishing rays, and really not looking any worse off than the year before. And maybe our little get together last October played a small part in that. So here's to you Levy!
As everyone in the surfing world knows by now, the fires that ravaged Lahaina, Maui a few months back took a large toll that extended well past the islands and all over the mainlands of this Earth, including right here in Pacific Beach. One of our many local ties to this tragedy is part of the greater Gordon & Smith family, that being Masi Saili, well known as a shaper for his own label as well as G&S, and the father of Mele Saili. Masi lost everything in the Lahaina fires, and though an early GoFundMe reached its goal, there is still so much needed to help Masi and his family put things back together. (By the way, you can still donate to the GoFundMe and participate in the tournament if you're so inclined.)
So it's in that spirit that this year's 8 Ball Bash is dedicated in Masi's honor, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to him. And in that spirit, I spent a little time making sure that the perpetual trophy that will now reside in the West End is worthy of such a storied venue with such a legendary clientele. You can sign up for this year's event here, and maybe just maybe you can get your name on the trophy for posterity!
Aloha,
Vince
March 27 I went for a surf with my nephew Quinn and I brought two boards along for him to try out. After being out for a while we did a board swap and left the Vr2(b) at the top of the iceplant at Tourmaline, right where the ramp begins and people are all over the place, including lots of my friends who are regulars.
Quinn said that the whole time he was out he kept looking back to make sure the board was still there, which it was until we got out of the water and walked up the ramp. We had been surfing Green Pipe so it was a little bit of a walk and during that time is when it got pinched.
It turns out that a notorious thief who goes by "Kung Fu Mike" had been seen right before then leaning on the railing by the culvert where he would have had a perfect vantage point to watch us and wait until we weren't looking. So it sure sounds like he's the pirme suspect in this case. He apparently bounces back and forth between OB and PB, ripping people off in one location and then selling the fleeced items in the other.
If you've seen this board, please hit me up through my contact form. I'll be glad to compensate you if you can help me get the board back. Heck you're even welcome to print out this high resolution flyer and spread it around for me if you're so inclined.
Thanks,
Vince
FULL DISCLOSURE: I was asked to build a website* for Horny Toads Surf Wax by my friends Shaun and Kasie.
And the story goes like this...
One day Shaun saw me getting ready to paddle out and asked me if I wanted to try some new wax he was making at home in his kitchen.
"Sure thing."
"Let me know how it goes."
"Will do!"
After my session I saw Shaun and he asked me what I thought.
"Worst wax I have ever used. I rate it a 2 on a 1 to 10 scale."
"Thanks for your feedback."
"No problem!"
This actually happened. The bar of goo wrapped in plain wax paper would smear into a slimy mess just from the warmth of your hands. I had to apply it in the water just to get any on my freshly stripped board. Once out in the water I slipped all over the place, but luckily it was a fairly clean day of surf so I never took a rail to the jaw or anything like that. Any messier conditions and I may have landed on my ass or lost a few teeth or something. After all I'm no Pete Peterson...
But Shaun and Kasie continued to work hard on their formulae, and they soon got to the point where the wax was really pretty decent. They didn't add any colorants, so it had this kinda funky look of coagulated phlegm, but they did come up with some great scents including root beer, bubble gum, and pineapple. And the performance of the wax got better too, though it still needed to be kept really cold to get good bumps on a freshly stripped board without smearing. Eventually I finished the website which is here.
Fast forward to a few days ago and I see Shaun in the lot at Tourmaline with a big ass grin on his face.
"Dude, new forumula. You gotta try it!"
"Right on!"
The first thing I noticed was that the bar was bright white. This is something I had hoped they would do because I really like how clean white wax looks on a board. And I think it helps give you a better idea of how much you have applied compared to clear wax.
The second thing I noticed was that the bar was a lot thinner, like a little over 3/8" thick maybe. Shaun told me that the new additives added so much weight to the formula that he had to pour much smaller bars to keep the finished weight at 3 oz. like it says on the label.
The third thing I noticed was how incredibly easy it was to apply to a freshly scraped board with no basecoat. How it creates such even little bumps without smearing at all is a minor miracle in my mind. Not that I have tried every wax ever made, but I can say without a doubt that this new formula blows the big names out of the water when it comes to creating a perfect layer of pebble grain with just the right amount of tackiness, but without smearing or streaking even on a warm afternoon. And no basecoat required! Simply splendid!
And best of all, the fourth thing I noticed was how much I loved surfing on it! Shaun said it may take a month or so to get his next order of materials, and in the meantime I have told him that I may not surf again until he has more available - it's that good!
To think that friends of mine just revolutionized the surf wax industry right here in my own back yard brings a big smile to my face! So glad I could be a part of it!
See you in the water,
Vince
*I also happened to make the molds that they pour their wax in.
A little while back I got a random but very welcome email from a young lady named Lainey who is the proud owner of a late 1960s or early '70s Hobie surfboard. She told me that she found Qustom via a web search for a WAVEset adapter for this very pristine midlength that bears no model name and just the way cool Hobie logo that you see in the photos below.
After exchanging a few messages we agreed that I would send her one of my test pieces, which she was stoked to try out.
"Being able to switch out the traditional, plastic waveset fin to a modern fiberglass fin has eliminated a ton of the drag I was experiencing from the back end of the board. The Hobie I’ve been riding the adapter in has super modern rails and design for a late 60s board, so adding the modern fin to it has made the board honestly feel like a midlength from one of today’s shapers.
Plus the board is super bellied, so since I was able to add a true flex fin to the board with the help of the adapter, I got more of a hull like feeling from the board.
I also really love how the adapter opens up a whole new realm of possibility for old boards. I can try all different types of fins and experiment. I can try other templates of Wavesets and I can also try tons of different modern fins in it."
I just find this super cool to hear! Thank you so much Lainey for stoking me out and getting me motivated to jump back on this project!
I am knocking out a few more examples that will be ready soon. Hit me up if you are interested!
Vince
It's going on five years since I bought this board at Bird's, and in that time I've heard all kinds of things said about it...
And yet, every time I get on it, it's a blast! And since they say a picture is worth 1,000 words... well, here are a bunch of pictures that should push the imaginary word count in your head straight into the stratosphere! (Photos by yours truly unless otherwise noted)
If you have problems with your spare car key rusting like I do (you would think BMW would make their keys out of something more impervious to the elements...), why not just make a new one out of plastic?!?
At $30 for a new one from the dealer or a locksmith, I decided it made more sense to just make one that can never rust. So one day when I was pouring some silicone molds for the WaveSet fin box adapter project, I dropped the spare key to my Bimmer (and mom's too for good measure) with very little forethought into a little tray and made a quick and dirty mold.
Now comes the afterthought... How do I get the keys out of the mold and still be able to use it? I didn't come up with any preconceived way to part the mold after it set up, so I just started hacking it apart with an X-Acto knife, trying to keep my cuts as lined up with the keys' shanks as possible.
And it worked! I've made four sets of keys now, and three of them worked. They're just strong enough for locking and unlocking the doors, but not strong enough to use in the ignition switch - which actually turns out to be a nice security feature! I also rub a little Sex Wax on it to help ease it into the slot. After a couple month's use the first one broke when I tossed it on top of my surfboard that was lying on the ground. If not for that I'd probably still be using it!
The fiasco that was the sale of LambrettaWorks forced me to sell many of the boards that I had collected over the years, some of which can be seen hanging from the ceiling in this photo from my last blog post.
Of the many boards I had to let go (which included an early '60s Harbour, serial number 753), this Hansen v-bottom might just be the one I miss the most - not because it was the most valuable (especially back then; these boards have gotten a little more desirable since then) - but because I never rode it. At that time I was strictly a goofy-ass longboarder. Of course if you have browsed this site much at all (or looked at this), you will surely know that by now I am a fully fledged goofy-ass v-bottom rider!
The board was not in mint condition, but not bad. I am pretty sure it was water tight at least. The original fin box was gone and in its place the Playboy themed fin was glassed in... or shall I say "pooled in", as in a pool of resin. I think it was about 7'6", but I can't be sure.
Just the sheer brevity of the v-bottom era is enough to make boards like this as rare as the proverbial seagull's teeth. So yeah, looking back on it now I'm pretty bummed I let this one go. The board sold on Craigslist when I was living in LA in around 2007-'08. If I ever run into the buyer, I would sure like to take it for a spin!
Click for full page slideshow:
I just got an email from my good buddy and fellow Tourmo regular Chris Cantore letting me know that a handful of my photos are currently being featured on the new Cantore+Woods effort at Yewonline.com, and I am beyond stoked about it!
The site is now a regular stop for me along Al Gore's Information Superhighway, and I can't wait to see what they've got up their sleeves next. I'm also really digging the podcast, which offers them new levels of freedom of expression that just can't be found on corporate radio. Nothing like busting a gut before you paddle out to get those abs worked up.
Check the site out and show them some love. San Diego needs a place to find some local flavor, and I think these guys have it dialed.