Shaper: Kevin Cunningham

Posted: May 13 2016

Kevin Cunningham makes eco-surfboards of uncompromising performance and character. With his company, SPIRARE, he aims to breathe new life into surfboard design.

A few months ago, before a stretch of travel totaling 7 weeks outside of the US, I journeyed first to Rhode Island to meet Kevin. He had two surfboards for me. Here is a little bit about them, and the trip.

1. The Twin Keel

This board is class and beauty. A little extra handiwork for additional niceness by way of triple stringers and glass-ons all done in red cedar. Alive underfoot, one solid style vehicle. Don't pick your path on the wave without first talking to the board. Think about your line and ask, is it cool? She will respond.

The twin keel takes me back to when surfing was voodoo. When I went to the beach to see what the waves were like, not check a half dozen surf cams on the internet. I didn't know, or care about volume. I drew different lines and less was more important in that moment. Sometimes I couldn't control the board so much, so I let it go where it wanted to go and just enjoyed the ride. Take that nostalgic feel and modernize for a board that is better than your relationship.

For more info, go here: https://shapyr.com/collections/kevin-cunningham/products/cedar-twin.

2. The Split Arc Tail Quad

She is pretty. Shaped from foam fractions off the desired measurements, then fully wrapped in a wood veneer to match the order specs. Strong, light, FU lite! The name FU Lite was inspired by a phenomenal west coast shaper with a phenomenal vocabulary. "FU" stands for "Fuck You". It's that light.

The tail is dipped in white, and the fin boxes are black. Contrast, kids! Take this board to the tropics. Watch the black and white play with the emerald green water and blue sky. I'm telling you, it will be easy on the eyes. Easy on the earth too, with recycled EPS foam. Bonus! Performance in the water? I'd guess it catches waves and takes you pretty quickly to maximum fun levels. I've felt it up and down and aside from paddling out myself, I can imagine that it is probably that loose skatey feel you would expect but with a little extra drive from the quads. Breeze through flats, cruise over to the inside section, stuff her into the pocket. Wood all over, gets better with age (there's another relationship joke here). Imagine yourself throwing this around on a chest high chunky wind-swell in the Caribbean.

For details, or to make her yours, go here: https://shapyr.com/collections/kevin-cunningham/products/split-arc-tail-quad

Both of these creations were whittled down from a list of many more. Hybrid 2 + 1 single fin style shortboards and Mini Simms didn't make the cut this time around. It's hard to choose when there are so many attractive fish in the sea, as there are on Kevin's website: http://spiraresurfboards.com/.

Once I did finally decide, with help from Kevin's design files and advice, the boards were shaped. Then they were glassed... but not so fast! Getting a board glassed in the northeast USA can take a little longer than in places more surf-rich. No doubt it shall be done, and it was indeed. Kevin followed through with the goods. I didn't even send one single "is my board done yet" email, which is my greatest, and only real accomplishment in the process of making these boards a reality. Kevin appreciated as well. I was patient, so you don't have to be. This board is ready to party.

I got word the boards were ready for pickup and the timing came shortly before some travel plans were about to be executed. The itinerary: Portugal for one month, New York for two weeks, then Japan for three. It was crucial I hop on a ferry the next chance I could or it wouldn't be until late summer before I could release these boards into the wild.

I booked a ferry from Orient, on the northern fork, at the eastern end of Long island. The other "The End" - no disrespect to Orient, it is as much "the end" as Montauk to the south. I drove my car onto a big boat and made my way north.

The tour of Kevin's workshop was stimulating, as expected. A shaper is always an interesting breed, and a shaper in the northeast tends to have a unique blend of old world craft, nautical notes, hints of wood. I could smell the cedar that found its way into the twin. It's warm and wholesome, and performance at the same time. It's not cheap production here, there is passion in these parts. In a shared workspace in Providence, Rhode Island, I found a group of different craftsmen all under one roof. To my left upon entering, two fishing boats on the dry. Furniture builders throughout. Surfboards in the back.

The place oozed precision. Meticulously hand drawn sketches and dimensions of rail profiles. Obsessive organization of hand tools and power tools. One spot with miscellaneous items, made almost less random via magnet strip holding everything together. Templates stacked and hung, dark walls for high contrast against fresh foam. This shop was clean and orderly. Even the foam dust and stringer shavings seemed to be in the right spot. Amidst the complications of designing, shaping, glassing, sanding... not to mention the business side, fulfilling orders and responding to emails, it is a great accomplishment to also keep your shop in top shape.

I took some photos and talked a while before I wrapped things up, paid the man, and got a few lunch recommendations. Upon exiting the SPIRARE workshop, I was meeting up with Sarah — a Brooklyn friend who is currently residing in Providence. Nothing more surfboard related from here, but in order of importance food is a close second. The Grange Providence (http://providencegrange.com/) was tasty and the conversation is always pleasing. After lunch I met Sarah's dog Polly who had a few creatures-of-the-sea in her quiver.

With two fresh new boards in the hatch, I made my way back to the port to catch the next ferry. They had one last spot left, earning me an hour extra of much needed sleep.

Have a look at the fine selection of shapes at Kevin's site: http://spiraresurfboards.com/ and learn about his SeaResin material here: http://www.foundatsea.net/. He is environmentally focused and design driven. His shop is envy inducing, his surfboards are exceptional.

...and please, before I wax one up, view the boards I picked up from Kevin here on SHAPYR.com. They are currently in New York and available for sale now.

Shaper: Joe Trizzino

Posted: Jan 09 2016

Long Island has always been home for me. Unlike some other stories you may have heard, I'm only here to talk about the good parts. The east end, and Joe Flow, to name a few.

We'll start here in New York, then we'll head over to the deepest jungles of the Amazon. A brief mention of California before heading back east for the summer. The story is about a man with a house in the woods near the beach. The epitome of hand shaped, he is a skilled craftsman. On a windy day in November, I visited his workshop at the end of a road, on a piece of land not far from a few ponds, a few bays, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. I'll tell you what I found, but first I'd like to introduce you to the man who brought me there...

Sometime during my travels around the web I came across surfboards with animals printed on them. X-rays of animals to be more precise, placed as if the creatures had dissolved into the resin while glassing. The artist: Steve Miller (instagram: @stevemillerdotcom), his series: "The Health of the Planet".

 

What you need to know first about these boards is that the animals are from Brazil's Amazon River Basin. Steve calls this part of the world "the lungs of our planet" and his boards are a medical checkup of it's inhabitants.

The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about 6,915,000 km2 (2,670,000 sq mi), or roughly 40 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Most of the basin is covered by the Amazon Rainforest, also known as Amazonia. With a 5,500,000 km2 (2,100,000 sq mi) area of dense tropical forest, this is the largest rainforest in the world. (Wikipedia)

While researching this spectacular place, I found myself on a few long Wikipedia tangents (as any good internet savvy person would). I learned that Suriname, in the northeast of South America, is considered to be a culturally Caribbean country and is officially Dutch speaking... isn't that weird? Aside from it's natural ruggedness, this tiny country is also rather savage politically. The current president was apparently sentenced in the Netherlands to 11 years of imprisonment for drug trafficking (Wikipedia) and his son, Dino, was arrested in Panama for conspiring to import cocaine into the US, and for offering support to terrorists (Slate). It seems to me that in this case the land is to be respected more than the corrupt officials. It's hard to find dry parts of the earth as untamed as the ocean, but I say that this is worthy competition. You might run into some bad dudes in this corner of the world, but you could also stumble upon a Green Anaconda; the world's heaviest snake, found to grow up to 17ft long and over 150lbs. For the Wildlife Conservation Society, big isn't quite big enough... so find them an Anaconda longer than 30ft and claim your $50,000 bounty. You might say, and I would tend to agree, that Powerball is a more appealing and much less creepy jackpot. Also, this size snake would be rather difficult to fit on a surfboard. SUP anyone?

Although often less hair-raising (aside from the gnarliest of breaks), entering the ocean to go surfing is undoubtedly an experience that brings you back to nature. Raw, and vast, and free. Many perfect breaks on the map, but one can't help but wonder about the ones that are yet to be discovered. Also worth noting: 

As much of the Amazon is unexplored, many of its indigenous plants animals and insects are unknown. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_basin)

Putting these indigenous animals on a surfboard draws so many awesome parallels, not to mention it makes for a strikingly beautiful piece of fine and fully functional art. Back to the subject; I was deeply moved, so I sent Steve a message via the contact form on his website (http://stevemiller.com/). I learned about the animals, the art, the amazon... there was only one missing piece that I needed to know. Who is the shaper?

Wikipedia fell short, but Steve delivered. For this, I owe him many thanks. He explained to me that each board is signed, numbered, and unique. He told me they are all hand shaped by Joe Trizzino of Southampton, NY - a short drive from home, I thought. Steve was nice enough to put me in touch with Joe, and Joe enough to welcome me to his home and his workshop. It was a Sunday morning I made my way east.

 

The air was fresh and crisp like apples. The fall on Long Island is another one of those good parts I mentioned earlier. Cool northeast winds blow summer crowds back to wherever it is they came from. Trees explode with color in one grand demonstration for the locals before the freeze. This is a time of change, for the better. The season was fitting of our interaction. As the weather cools off, the character warms up. I couldn't have imagined a pleasant and more genuine character than Joe, known also, affectionately, as "Flow" for his glide on water.

I stopped at Goldberg's for a spicy hobo; a bagel place and a killer breakfast sandwich, respectively. Food in hand, I was then on to Joe's place.

He was working on a board for Steve that day and he had plenty of others to show me. While he worked, I photographed a handful of his creations. Every so often he came out, dusted off, and talked a bit about various topics. He explained how the weather affects the ease with which the foam dust sprays off his clothes. He talked about going to California for a few months, shaping more boards and taking advantage of the good breaks and swell surplus on the other coast. He talked about the state of shaping in the early days of his career and now, and that it's never been the money maker for him, but a passion worth pursuing.

He showed me an apartment for rent above his shaping room. If you are not interested in a surfboard you can also contact me for a cool place to hole up, reasonably priced all year round! SHAPYR.com is a shop about people and stories, after all. Live above a shaping room on the eastern side of Long Island. Share some waves and make a story for yourself. Maybe Joe will let you mow some foam!

I left with a stronger love for my home, and the world. I try to always look at the good parts. With winter ahead, I found warmth. Nearly 100 miles east of New York City along a stretch of sand and rocks, I found creativity and passion. On a grey windy day I found... surfboards! Maybe "happiness" would have been a more suitable choice of words to round this story out, but can we not all agree that surfboards = happiness? The word stands.

For more about Steve Miller and his latest art exhibitions, visit his instagram account @stevemillerdotcom (https://www.instagram.com/stevemillerdotcom/) or his website http://stevemiller.com/.

Please also browse a collection of boards from Joe Trizzino, available now: http://shapyr.com/collections/joe-trizzino

As always, contact me with questions or to coordinate an order. To celebrate my home: free delivery anywhere in NYC and Long Island. Any transaction here will only "authorize" a card for the designated amount. I will contact Joe to confirm availability before accepting any payments. 

Peace, love, and surfboards.

Shaper: Colin Hansel

Posted: Aug 18 2015

Space is not easy to come by, especially in the northeast near the coast or a major city. Getting something affordable often means you are in a rough part of town. I entered Philadelphia for the first time to pick up a board from Colin Hansel of Rodeo Bird. I found the rough part, but also the diamond inside; it was six foot and orange.

In an old Ann Taylor factory where everything including the brick is exposed and light gushes in unforgivingly, on a street called double negatively "East Westmoreland", I found a shaper and his factory.

"Lemme know when you're there, it's a super sketchy area so I'll let you know where to park"

A mostly uneventful three hour drive from the suburbs of Long Island to the outskirts of Philly, upon arrival I was sure to follow orders. I met Colin and he directed me towards safe haven. We shook hands and not long after he led me to his creation, which I will lovingly refer to as the orange diamond quad.

No longer garments or textiles in this old building - now furniture, art, and surfboards. The floors were covered in years of dust and history, they creaked from the weight of past lives. The air was still and the heat oppressive. Many of the rooms were lit in two ways: blindingly bright with sun, or trip-and-fall dark. My eyes and my lens were struggling to adjust quick enough as I moved around the place, eagerly absorbing it's character.

The scars of the old building sat in perfect contrast to it's new innards. Shadows of past objects on the walls and the floor, missing paint in spots where unknown objects once lived; now foam dust and surfboard silhouettes.

We talked about different shapes, from Greenough's Spoon, a bonzer recreation in the works complete with Pucci-esque fabric inlay, the longboard he's building for himself, and a foam construction paipo experiment. Not unlike many east coasters, we work mostly... and then we surf when we can. The unfortunate and frequent lack of waves forces us to explore surfing in other outlets, such as board building and design.

About the board, the reason for my trek across state lines, it's a beauty that encompasses the essence of it's birthplace. Bright and solid. Colin built to last. A combination of 4 and 6 ounce glass with polyester resin and polyurethane foam. It's 6' x 20" x 2.6" with the smoothest curves. Enough rocker to make the drop and enough foam to pull through the flat sections. Some bells and whistles too, why not? Resin tint, cut laps, pinlines, gloss coat, diamond tail, tail patch. You see retro, flip it over and find futures... 4 of them. This board is sure to stand out, perform, and outlast your typical popout. Make sure you have the muscle to handle this beauty; strong and fast, she's sure to take you where you need to go.

It was great meeting Colin and I'm grateful for the opportunity to visit his shaping room and his city. I brought the orange diamond back to Long Island, you can view the product details here: http://shapyr.com/products/orange-diamond-quad. It's available for sale right here on SHAPYR.com with free delivery anywhere in NYC and Long Island. From Brooklyn to Montauk, maybe even beyond. Want the diamond overseas? Let's talk about it. This marketplace is worldwide.

 

Water Brothers Surf Fest V

Posted: Jul 06 2015

WATER BROTHERS Surf Fest V in Newport, Rhode Island this weekend July 11th.

Shaper: Chris McElroy

Posted: Jan 12 2015

Dusty and suffocatingly dry. The desert meets the clear blue pacific in a glorious contrast of death and life in Baja California. Along with a friend and his dog, in a house ravaged by storms both human and not, Chris McElory lives on; seemingly indestructible, blatantly genius, with stories that take you to the edge of the universe. 

"How many aliens do you know?"

After a perfectly short bout of small talk, the conversation awakens my sun drained body, my tequila and beer soaked brain.

"Well... I'm not really sure. How can you tell if an alien is an alien?"

I think to myself while looking at McElory and his grey horned beard, cracked forehead, eyes deep as the Sea of Cortez... he might as well be my first encounter.

--

My first time in Mexico, a few days in the city to get acclimated and transition from a NY state of mind. We started our trip with a lost bag, a stone-cold car rental employee intent on selling us extra insurance, and a careful drive to a Bed & Breakfast that we rented from a lovely Oregon native. Her son, Zion, just as raw and untamed as the land that surrounded. It was the west coast flavor that satiated my hungry east coast appetite. Pollo, pescado, asado, plenty of jalapeño, and countless other things that end in O. After a few days of stuffing myself silly, and saying "Si, por favor" to cheap beers and Margaritas, I was ready to cleanse my inside and dirty my outside.

We departed Cabo San Lucas with full bellies, pockets full of pesos, and eyes once again bright and seeking adventure. We left behind some new friends - a drinking buddy from the states that had broken off from his parents and was seeking new experiences (i.e. girls), the wild child whose hair at only 6 years old was longer than mine had ever been, and the hustle and bustle.

A quick, and slightly less careful drive over to Todos Santos, we were home. If the universe were a book, we all existed on exactly the same page; the three of us, still-pale, eager travelers, and this place we were in. The rhythm was in sync with every thirsty cell of my body. We pulled up to yet another B&B and from there on, it was magic. Off the grid, solar power, organic farming, fresh fish, farmed fish making fertilizer, and the sweetest dog named Manzanita.

We watched whales breach from our front porch. The ocean was teeming with life. The swell was up and the surfing was fun and warm. Greg, my east coast brother, reeled in a gleaming blue/green Dorado from the beach on the very first day. Sashimi lunch and dinner. Despite it's appearance, this parched land was more lush than we could have imagined.

We rented surfboards from our host and soon realized we were neighbors with a legendary surfboard shaper for the next five days. The boards were emblazoned: McElroy, by their creator who lived on the next plot over. In a strange twist of fate, with no other effort aside from a desire to surround myself with surfboard builders, an extremely talented craftsman with an eye for curves had been placed before me.

I had to meet him. Our host gave him the heads up that we were in town and wanted to talk shop. It didn't seem that he had a very busy schedule -- unless by busy you mean drinking beers, eating cheap-and-good tacos, and fixing surfboards -- but I appreciated the warning. I am, after all, a skinny white dude from Long Island and wouldn't want to intimidate anyone by showing up unannounced.

--

Leading up to our chat, I had the opportunity to surf two of his creations. One single fin longboard, and a Bonzer type, fighter jet of a board. My longboard skills are much like my writing skills. It's not often I get to exercise them but when I do it feels pretty nice. The single fin was my go-to for the next few days. It glided effortlessly along the right hand point break waves for which it was carved. There wasn't a thing I would change, except "FOR IVAN" inscribed along the stringer would be replaced with my name. Ivan was close enough, though, since we were living on his property in his first Mexican abode, sharing home made enchiladas with his family.

The wave quality was far superior to what I'm used to. I was embarrassingly wobbly and rusty but having a blast in the water, sans 5mm's of head-to-toe rubber. Not a care in the world. Knowing your shaper and riding a product of his own hands is, for me, one of life's greatest pleasures.

--

Our chat lasted an entire afternoon and well into the night, with a walk through McElroy's compound just down the dusty road. He showed me his house, which was battered by two separate storms. The first, a recent Category 4 hurricane named Odile. The second, a woman that remained unnamed -- a long term relationship gone sour. He walked me around to his surfboard factory with templates and unfinished blanks strewn about. A wall once covered with magazine covers featuring some of surfing's professionals riding (and winning) on McElroy's surfboards, now checker-boarded with a few SURFER and SURFING magazines and posters. A world map that housed pins for every one of his travel destinations, now barren.

Underneath it all, underground, down a somehow weathered staircase built by McElory seemingly of dirt, wood, and blood, was a place I could tell was very special to him: his studio space where he would jam out on his own hand built guitar for countless hours and eardrum pounding decibels. The art on the wall oozed the pain of an over creative mind. He hadn't seen it in months and was afraid to reveal it's condition after the storm, but was surprised and grateful it was still in one piece. He turned into a cheerful child showing me his best toys. Music had become more sacred than surfing. He made his own waves with the vibrations of his guitar strings.

Later on that night there was of course, more beer. It was Christmas so there was also some egg nog, which found it's way into McElroy's mustache and comfortably settled there for long after his first sip. More fresh fish courtesy of Greg. Then, a speech that went something like this:

"I want to take a moment to say something, man. Look at where we are right now, in this beautiful place with our friends, drinks, and great food. This is really special, you know? Happy New Year everyone."

At the perfect moment in between stories of extra terrestrials with soundless voices, trips of all kinds, perfect surf breaks, motorcycle injuries, near death experiences, and countless other topics about the world and beyond, McElroy stopped to sum it all up. We were truly blessed to be sharing this experience with friends, old and new.

--

Chris McElroy, his house sitter and fellow mad scientist shaper friend known none other than Foley, his dog Dino: brother of before mentioned Manzanita, and the community that he built in this place made such a hugely positive impact on me. I feel compelled to help him rebuild his home. Look for McElroy surfboards here on SHAPYR.com in the future. Stay tuned, and stay thirsty, amigos!