An old transaction that benefits both parties has been known as skills for skills or trade for trade and I’m not really sure if there is even a proper name for such a trade, it’s certainly not found in a simple google search. I do know that for many many thousands of years people have swapped skills in return for another skill, or food like grain. No money is ever exchanged, just commodities, good will or professional skills in some form.
Until about 5000 years ago when the ‘Shekel’ was developed by the Mesopatamians, people had no choice but to barter for things they needed. The first known currency could then be used as a way of purchasing goods and bartering the best price with coin. I did see that the Latin word for salary was Salarium and Roman soldiers were given an allotted amount of money ‘Salarium’ to buy salt or ‘Sal’ as it was known, which was an essential commodity. We still haggle over prices to this day and my recent trip to Turkey was testiment to that. The point of this post, there is always a point but I have to ramble to get to it, is how refreshing it’s been to work on a project where payment has come in the form of a beautiful new surfboard, shaped by Hugh Brockman from Bos Surfboards, here in the Wild West of Cornwall. I’ve had the pleasure of working on Hugh and his partners barn restoration in the most stunning rural setting near the Helford Passage. Originally the work came about as a means to help them out so that the scaffolding could be removed to avoid more rental costs. I happily offered my skills to point in the higher levels of the granite, filling the joints with a combination of lime and grit, a traditional method, that then needs tapping back with a stiff brush, and when done well looks great. Payment for this pleasure was either cash or boards and I thought for at least one entire second and replied, “boards please”. Ironically I’ve been working on the barn on weekends when I can, or when the weather allows, and that means my own surfing time has been limited, but it’s been a pleasure to help restore an old building that has a rural landscape vista that is priceless. When the property is finished I’ll be proud to say that I’ve helped out and my work will be seen for years to come. I’m writing this a day after my first surf on my new board I will say that paddling out, which is the first test of any new board, felt so comfortable, but I had a really great feeling about this board and reckon this is because of the way it happened. I collected the board about two weeks ago but have not had a chance to ride it. I can safely say that Hugh has made me the most beautiful longboard and I could not be more stoked, and he’s also made one for my wife as well. However, this is about mine and not hers!! Mine is 9’9” with a beautiful triple T-Band stringer, the centerpiece of the board that gives the board strength. Wrapped in Volan Fiberglass cloth and deck and tail patches too, the aesthetics of this board are sublime. However, as beautiful as it looks it means nothing if it doesn’t surf well. The same as the work I’ve done for Hugh and Georgie, if its done wrong, then the building is vulnerable to the elemetns. The design and functional qualities of this board that myself and Hugh discussed are nothing new, nothing groundbreaking, but we spoke in depth, and once we'd decided what would work best for me, he set about shaping this into reality with his very skilled hands. I must add here that if you do have a custom board made from your local shaper, make sure it’s made for how you surf, and the waves you surf the most. Most of all be honest about your ability and what you would like to achieve. It's been nearly twenty years since I had a surfboard with a square tail and this was the first change we made. A square tail allows the surfer to pivot more when turning, essentially allowing a more abrupt turn, or even a stall, like slamming the brakes on if needed and putting all you weight onto the back of the board, slowing you down and getting set for the next section, by letting the pocket of the wave catch up with you, realse the brakes and go again. I’ve been riding pintail surfboards for all this time, and this allows a more drawn out turn, and suits my surfing style very well. (I’ve included a picture of my pintail next to my sons on the beach, both shaped by Hugh to show the style of board I’ve been riding for many years). I’m a practitioner of the dropknee turn which is a traditional manoeuver that I was inspired to perfect after spending years my early years surfing watching the masters in videos dating back to the 60’s like Phil Edwardes, Nat Young or Midget Farrelly (pictured), through to stylists like CJ Nelson, Devon Howard, Joel Tudor, Ray Gleave and the the man I mention below Tyler Hatzikian. The pintails suit the dropknee perfectly but I wanted a change at the tail of the board, and change helps progression (even at 53), and can open up new experiences when we surf. I can’t fully reflect on the boards turning ability yet as my first surf was dictated by the waves and they forced me to noseride and not turn, but the couple that I did do, WOW! What I can say is that the square tail and tail kick let me stall, and set me up for a nose ride, which brings me directly onto the concave. Underneath the nose of the board, a concave is skillfully blended into the foam from the tip down towards the centre of the board and this provides lift when noseriding. When you stand on the nose of the board, with the tail locked into the curl of the wave behind you, the lift allows you to ride the board from the nose, which is the best feeling. I’ve preferred boards that are ‘clean’, i.e. No concave. I was heavily influenced many years ago by an amazing film by Jason Baffa, ‘Single Fin Yellow’. In this film, master shaper, super nice guy, and all round Californian legend (my hero) Tyler Hatzikian, shaped a stunning 9’6” single fin pintail. The film follows the story of the board, shipped around over to Beau Young, (son of Nat Young) who surfed it then handed it onto the next surfer, and so on until the board arrived back with Tyler in California after being surfed in a variety of waves. Tyler chose to keep it ‘clean’ with no concave and I followed suit. Being a heavier chap, I didn't want any drag on my boards, and for me personally noseriding is something that happens when I'm locked into a perfect wave, not forced or done because you think you have to. I suppose I didn’t feel like I wanted any extra lift let alone drag. But now I have lift, and didn't feel any drag because the concave is blended, my first surf with concave for a very long time was like experiencing levitation!! Every wave I had in a two hour session, in fast peeling offshore conditions led to a monstrously long noseride and a huge boost in confidence. After a couple of waves I stepped forward and stayed there, with my toes fully curled over the nose of the board, I stepped back and went forward again. Noseriding is the best feeling in the world and the decision to add concave to this board has been the best decision so far. Surfboards are amazing things, brought to life by skilled craftsmen and women. Yes, they’re expensive and prices are rising as are the materials needed to make them, but I will always be an advocate for hand shaped custom boards. Whenever you have a chance to do so, please do. When you play a part in the boards design, they will come to life when you surf them. Yes, cash is great and pays the bills, and could have easily taken an hourly wage or 'Salarium', but when Hugh, a skilled craftsman offered to trade his skills for mine, how could I say no, and I hope that I have played a part in bring an old derelict barn back to life. I'm already looking forward to my next surf and I'll feedback on the turning ability but for now, I'm so grateful and stoked for a new board that will be used for years to come. Bos Surfboards www.wearebos.com
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AuthorHi, I'm Russ Pierre, a Cyclist, Surfer and outdoor enthusiast. Please join me as I have some fun on my adventures and write about all the stuff that makes me tick. Archives
December 2024
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