Q and A with Roger Hall on The Wooden Boards Day trip to Aussie recently, Micro*
1: What did you take to display at the wooden boards day this year ?
I took three boards this trip, A 5'11" Speed Dialer made from 9 different species of wood, It's probably my favourite one, Board two was a 7'0" Semi Gun made mostly of Cabbage Tree timber, This is the most recent board we have built here at Surfline, The third board was my personal 5'11" Speed Dialer that I have really been enjoying riding over the past couple of years.
2: Did you order 'the kiwi breakfast' on the flight over ?
Absolutely not! Actually I took an evening flight.
3: Who was the first surfer/shaper you saw at the park on the day ? (other than 'bigfish')
Mike Conner of Bush Pig surfboards fame, Mike had his latest paulownia Pig style board, Nice work!
4: What or who's boards impressed you the most ? and why ?
That's a hard question to answer as there was so many boards that impressed for different reasons, However the sexiest board by far was a solid balsa Hot Curl shaped by Dick Van Straalen, I was busy talking to people most of the day and actually didn't get to see every bodies boards, I liked Richard Harvey's stuff too, He does a range of things and his personality an depth as a surfer/shaper comes through in the boards, It's hard to name anyone in particular as every shaper there had worked really hard to come up with their particular take on construction and shape, I saw good work laying around the park no matter whether it be a seasoned board builder or a first time hobbyist.
5: Was there any species of timber used that sparked your interest ?
Well, It's all wood and some pieces just seem to shine, I think for me its more the combinations, Dovetail Surfboards had some nice clean contrasts in some of their boards with Paulownia and a dark rich cedar?, There was a lot of Paulownia boards which is great in itself but what caught my eye was woods of other colours, I liked John Sutcliffe's N.Z recycled Kauri board!
6: What was the atmosphere at the park like ?
It was quietly humming, Heaps to see and lots of people looking and admiring, A really nice vibe between all the shapers and there were first time builders rubbing shoulders with industry legends but most of the time it wasn't obvious which was which or who was who, Really awesome to be part of.
7: What feedback did you get on your boards ?
I got a really good response, I think people could see a difference in my approach with different timbers and could see a lot of hard work had gone into them.
8: Was there a shaper/surfer that you shared common views with ?
I think there is a common thread running through all of us making wood boards even though we may all be exploring different aspects, But that's the depth that wood has to offer, I think that many of us share common views but then there are places that we may go as individuals and I think that's pretty special and we all feed off that without necessarily needing to copy one another, It's a fantastic venue for trading ideas and talking openly, Grant Newby is a Saint for putting these days together, It adds a lot more meaning and context to being a shaper.
9: What will you take away from the day ? ideas, thoughts etc ?
A lot of stimulation, Motivation but also a lot of encouragement too, And also a healthy respect for what others are doing and the reinforcement in the belief of just how special it is to be involved in shaping the future as well as the present.
10: What would you like to build for next year ?
There is a number of ways I could and would like to go with my wood projects for next year but right now my focus is on getting my custom orders up to date and beyond that, Following some design paths that I have had rumbling around in my brain for too long and it's time to do them justice . . . . I guess we what an see.
The Surfline Custom Surfboards showroom is bursting with fresh stock and secondhand boards, This 5'11'' ModQuad 80/20 with a great Resintint by The MATTador assisted by Emma and this secondhand 9'1'' Comp C+ are just two of the many boards in the racks at the moment, GET YOURS, Micro*
Mr. Espiner's 10' Electraglide, Nose and tail woodwork with double 3/8'' Poplar stringers, Set to turn heads again, Micro*
Place your Custom order for Summer NOW, Spring tomorrow, I'm even wearing shorts today !, Micro*
Johnny's Comp C+, Another sweet ride, Liking the full nose template, Tip time for sure, Micro*
FINish the week off with a new fin, We have a great selection of RFC Rainbow Fin Company fins at the moment at the Surfline Custom Surfboards factory, Micro*
Nic from the S.E.W.N surf movie project is back in town spending a bit more time with Roger at the factory, Micro*
Robbie your 10' Electraglide is glassed, Filler and gloss coats to go, Looking very classic, Micro*
I stole this pic off another blog, This is what we would be like without our 'CHRIS', Headless chicken legged board builders, 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY', Micro and family*
Roger has shaped up a 6'4'' x 20-3/8'' x 2-7/8'' Speed Dialer today, A tad narrower than the norm, More fresh stock for your summer pleasure, Micro*
We have a great selection of RFC Rainbow Fin Company fins at the moment, This little gem is a 9'' Rake (there is a few different colours available) $140.00 NZ, Micro*
9'6'' Electraglide stockie, Roger is firing through the shaping with the aid of the new shaping machine, YEW, The factory is buzzing, Micro*
10' stock Electraglide, 5 stringers, Nose and tail resin features, Sickness abounds, Micro* PS You could own this board, It will be finished and in our showroom SOON and will feature on our stock blog !
Hey Robbie, Your electraglide is super nice mate, Lots of nice touches, Wood and Resin tailblock, Paua decal and a nice subtle spray, Gonna be a sweet ride, Micro*
We have a great selection of RFC Rainbow Fin Company Fins at the moment in our Surfline Custom Surfboards Showroom, Micro*
Lulu has uploaded a video to You Tube of Roger talking about Wooden Surfboards at The Gold Coast Surf Museum, Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KeiSV2nxM4
10' Electraglide, 5 Stringer with a solid resin tinted tailblock and a resin nose insert, This will be a stockie to die for, I will be keeping a close eye on this board as it makes it's way through the factory, Micro*
Finely tuned Speeding Dialer for Mr.Dougie P, Set for glossing mate, Simple and classy, Micro*
Roger has been working on some hot stock boards, New model, The Mod Quad 80/20's over 40 years of Quad research has gone into this new model plus The Mod Fish, Exciting times for open minded shortboarders, Micro*
Check out our Current Showroom Stock at http://surflinestockies.blogspot.com/ Micro*
Emma tapes up for another RAD spray, Micro*
