Santa Cruz Good Times

Friday
Jul 30th
Text size
  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size

Coming Soon?

Tuesday, 01 December 2009 17:39 Mike Wallace Blogs - Action Sports 101
 E-mail

blog_surfSacred Craft Expo may tap Santa Cruz as the next surfboard hub

Nothing is quite as thrilling in a surfer’s life as that first blush of romance with a new board. Within those mysterious curves lie the potential to escape the self-consciousness of the daily grind, to fly free, to walk on water. Coaxing performance out of the template, rocker, foils, rails and tails is the job of the shaper, and translating those raw elements into a final three-dimensional shape is part science, part art and more than a little alchemy. Shapers are the high priests of this addictive union of man and nature; masters of a craft—a sacred craft.

For the past few years, director Scott Bass has paid tribute to boards and their foam messiahs by organizing the Sacred Craft Expo, housing a transcendent display of board-building genius under one roof for thousands to enjoy twice a year—Ventura in the spring and Del Mar in the fall. The most recent festival of foam in Del Mar honored Dick Brewer, the principle driver behind the shortboard revolution and mentor to multiple world-class shapers in their own right. Given a voice, who might Santa Cruz nominate as their local shaping master?

 

Bass counts among his closest surfing friendships a number of shapers and says he saw risk of their extinction in the “shift in surf retailing to a focus on apparel over equipment, with generic mass-produced boards favored by non-surfing shopkeepers over local craftsmen.” The Sacred Craft is his way to bridge that gap with customers and “show off local talent all under one roof” at the expo. He is gratified that there seems to be a backlash now against the industrialized approach and new appreciation for custom equipment.

Rumors of the traveling show taking a detour to Surf City north were rampant in Del Mar and Bass confirmed to Good Times that Santa Cruz “is right at the top of the short list” of alternative venues. Picture the Cocoanut Grove Grand Ballroom down at the boardwalk stuffed to the rafters with water craft of all descriptions shaped by local, Californian and international stars. Santa Cruz’s Doug Haut, Bob Pearson, Michel Junod, John Mel, William “Stretch” Riedel, Geoff Rashe, Ward Coffey, Nick Palandrani and more could all display festive models of their latest glossy creations. Buttery alaias, modernized primitive finless wooden Hawaiian boards; sparking gloss-and-polish fishes; high-performance epoxy shortboards; fabric-inlaid longboards … all coexisting in harmony at the Expo, if not in the lineup.

Craftsman Michel Junod has attended every expo so far, making the long trek down from Santa Cruz each time. Yet as a shaper, he relishes the “opportunity to rub shoulders with the public directly, in a way not usually afforded by the standard industry trade show.” Junod predicts the show would draw crowds from Marin to San Luis Obispo and would be embraced by the local shaping and surfing community. The time is ripe for Santa Cruz to break with its underground reputation and debut as California’s northern hub for style, innovation and craftsmanship in board building.

Even as the commercialization of surfing and the co-opting of surf culture by corporate America leaves a metallic tang in the mouths of purists, boards and shaping remain the pure heart and soul of the industry. Some shapers have as few as a hundred boards under their belt, others have thousands, but all have a compelling story to tell if you give them a minute to bend your ear.

But don’t take their word for it, at the expo’s Magical Morning Surfboard Demo you’ll have a chance to grab any board that strikes your fancy and take it for a spin. Perhaps a Simmons-inspired twin fin from the Hydrodynamica Test Pilot Series, a Wegener alaia, a Mirandon “Porpoise,” a tricked out Maurice Cole deep concave Fish, a finless Carl Ekstrom “Earwig” or asymmetrical longboard—don’t be shy. Scamper back up the cliff at the Point and grab another, pausing only to let your sinuses drain and give a little thumb’s up to the Creator.

At the end of the day, the Sacred Craft is proof that the spirit of innovation is alive and well, creeping in from the fringes; ready to embrace those with an open mind.

For more information on the Sacred Craft Expo, go to surfboardshow.com or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Comments (0)Add Comment
feedSubscribe to this comment's feed

Write comment

busy
< Prev   Next >
 

More Good Times

 

Santa Cruz Area Events

BLUE Ocean Film Festival      

 

Music Calendar

GT Weekly Club Grid PDF >

 

Memory Matters

Twenty years after the fact, a geologist and a historian say we must not forget “Loma Prieta was a humbling experience for most of us. a reminder of our diminutive stature in the grand scheme of things. I think that remembering events like that is a perfect antidote for our collective hubris; it keeps us honest.” —Sandy Lydon, ‘History Dude’  

 

Ocean Advocacy Goes Federal

You don’t need to tell a Santa Cruzan how important the ocean is. From our economy to our natural beauty to our hard-fought-formoniker as “Surf City,” Santa Cruz is defined by its relationship to the ocean as much as Colorado is to its Rockies. So when President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order on July 19 creating a national ocean policy for the first time in history, it was like hearing about a big break for an old friend who’s been going through a tough time lately.

 

Rearranging Rape

“As of next school year, Rape Prevention Education as you know it will no longer exist.” This is what UC Santa Cruz administrators told Rape Prevention educator Gillian Greensite last month, explaining a decision to “reorganize” the program. Greensite was told that, starting in the 2010/2011 school year, Rape Prevention Education would no longer be a separate effort, but would be absorbed into the Student Health Outreach and Promotion program (SHOP), and that she would no longer be a rape educator, but a sexual health educator through SHOP. She promptly retired.

 

Overall, how would you rank the local club scene? What could be improved?

I'd say it's average. I like a lot of dub step and electronic music. Most of the hip-hop and K-DON and stuff—I really get over those kind of songs. More DJ's and what not would be nice. Nesta LoniSanta Cruz | Prep Chef

 

Perfect Palm

The Glaum family is adored for their locally fresh cage-free eggs. For the past year, these eggs have been served in breakfast burritos and sandwiches at the Glaums’ new deli where Piggie Market has nurtured Redwood Village neighbors for 25 years. The central, thatched-roof, hexagonal open kitchen mimics the unusual shape of the extensively renovated building. Textured stone flooring winds around the kitchen, leading to an extensive wine selection. From the wall of refrigerators you can still pick up your milk and eggs, as well as beer, numerous brands of beverages, and locally made Massimo gelato.

 

From the Editor

Club much? Sometimes, it’s a good thing, and if you’ve moseyed to any of the local nightclubs in Santa Cruz County over the years, you more than likely have been greeted by a powerful presence—a bouncer. This week, writer J.D. Ramey takes readers behind the scenes and uncovers, well, let’s say the more embraceable side of some of our area’s favorite greeters and, at times, protectors. These guys are an enigmatic bunch.

 

Nordic Forge

“Man is wolf to man.” Not only is this a quote from the Roman playwright Plautus, one of the earliest known Latin authors, but it is also the title of the earliest known demo recording from local metal slayers Nordic Forge. “[The title track] is a song Jimi wrote almost all at once,” explains the vocalist, Rueben. “Then, I wrote the lyrics after listening to the hymn ‘O Rubor Sanguinis’ by Saint Hildegard Von Bingen.” Determined not to be just another scrawled name in the metal world, the guys in Nordic Forge draw their creativity from classics such as Shakespeare (“Throne of Blood”) and saintly hymns, to an array of bands from the early days of thrash metal and the extremes in Scandinavia. Mario, the act’s guitarist, cites atmospheric and melodic groups like Dissection, At the Gates, and Darkthrone as influences. “Always Darkthrone,” he emphasizes. Only known by their first names, the band of intellectual malcontents consists of Reuben on flesh-curling vocals, brothers Mario and Jimi decimating the guitar scales, Ben on thunderous bass, and Andrew manning the rapid-firing drums.

 

Place Your Vote

Author, musician, sometime-politician and all-around American raconteur, Kinky Friedman doesn’t mince words when it comes to pontificating on just about any subject near and dear to his heart. His takes on life are often delivered in a humorous, satirical manner, but the 65-year-old tackles a lot of serious issues and themes, much like the manner in which Mark Twain presented his opinions and views to readers. Still, Friedman is clearly on a level all his own today.

 

Storrs Winery Chardonnay 2008

One of the most popular wines round these parts is Storrs Chardonnay. It’s probably one of the most-requested wines at any given restaurant. And the reason is simple – it’s an excellent wine. It turns out that many judges at this year’s California State Fair think so, too. They named the Storrs 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay as the Best Wine of the Region. As the top wine of the greater Bay Area, this wine also garnered a Best Chardonnay of Region distinction, and a gold medal. When you think of all the wines submitted in this competition, this is truly an impressive achievement.

 

Meet the Bouncers

Wherever there’s a crowd of people drinking, there’s bound to be a jackass or two. Much as we might wish we could just hit the “Eject” button and send the rabble-rousers flying, it takes a living, breathing human to get rid of that unwanted guest who’s had one too many. Which, of course, is where bouncers come in. The doorman is a figure who appears throughout history and throughout nature: The Old Testament makes mention of “gatekeepers” whose duty was to keep things copasetic at the Levitical Temple, and even certain species of ants have their own peacekeepers whose duty is to chuck out unwelcome parties. Clearly, this is an essential service, but few people have the stones for it, let alone the physical power.

 

Bad Faith

Searing tragedy of intolerance reduced to melodrama in 'Agora' | There's a fascinating, heartbreaking, infuriating true story at the center of Agora, a sumptuous drama of ancient Alexandria from Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar. But even as the female scholar protagonist lectures her students that every system in the universe must revolve around a center or it will collapse, Amenábar clutters up his narrative with so much bombast and portent, it's own center finally cannot hold.
Sign up for our weekly events newsletter
you can unsubscribe any time.
  • Login
    Log in to post comments, add Community Calendar events & get access to web-exclusive content
  • Create an account
    Registration
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    REGISTER_REQUIRED

    • Advanced Search

    Most Read . . .

    GT This Week

    Santa Cruz

    SC Quick Links


    Bookmark and Share