Monster on video

orain: 52 monster surfboarding from debolex films on Vimeo.

Monster Surfboards

Eduardo and Fernando are the two talented guys behind Monster Surfboards. Born in a small village in Asturias, north of Spain, they started surfing at the age of 13 but only 3 years ago they decided to shape their first surfboard. Like many in Europe, they couldn’t get all the different shapes apart from the "classical" shortboard. Twins, singles, quads, mini-simmons, hulls and classic logs were very hard to find at the local shop and the ones available didn’t look good enough.
Without the opportunity to really see or touch most of those shapes, they started searching for information on the internet and applying some of the concepts in shortboards. “There’s a great difference between them, and the only way to do things right is thinking and discussing a lot, physically making boards, and test them. Learn and doing it again.” - Says Eduardo

Influenced by names like Harbour, Almond, Rusty, Takayama, Mandala, Junod, just to name a few, their shapes respect the old school tradition but without sacrificing performance. Doing all in house, they searched for inspiration for their glass jobs with Dain Thomas crew at Sea Surfboards. Not an easy task but looks like they’re on the right track.
Monster Surfboards offer a good selection of models from Twins, Quads, Singles, Mini-simmons, guns and Longboards, all nicely finished.

Eduardo and Fernando are a humble and hard working team. All they want to do is to keep experimenting new stuff, improve the designs they already have and learn more so they can grow and make even better surfboards.

In my opinion, these guys are on the right track and have a bright future ahead.

Learn more about Monster Surfboards at: http://www.amazinghorrorsurfing.com/

Live shaping from UWL

The UWL crew came up with another great idea. Now instead of looking for shaping videos on youtube, you can watch it LIVE, directly from the UWL workshop.  

This week Jeff Mccallum will be live with morning and afternoon sessions!!!

For more info check their website at http://www.uwl-workshop.com/

stoke

Stoked Carlos after his first ride on the 5'4 The Bob by Wavegliders

Jeff interview for Drift

Drift just posted a short interview I did with Jeff Mccallum about his trip to France, his new models and the collab with Joel Tudor.

You can read it HERE

Jeff Mccallum back in France

The super talented and innovative shaper from San Diego, Jeff Mccallum, is coming back to the UWL Workshop in France from December 5 to 12.

Jeff will be shaping some of his amazing boards including 5 brand new models:

STAND UP SPOON

SEXY TIME

PURPLE STUFF

Pintail PIG

CALIGUN

2010 has been a great year for Jeff with a few shaping trips, a new factory, many new models and a collaboration with Joel Tudor developing some models for Joel’s label, Kookbox.

What better for Christmas than a brand new surfboards from one of the best shapers n California?

For more information contact UWL at:

http://www.mccallumsurf-france.com and e-mail : shaper@mccallumsurf-france.com

Incut Fish

One of my favorite designs from Rob Lion is the Incut Fish. It’s a different approach on performance on the Fish design and seems to go really well, according to all the feedback from surfers that tested it.
The idea is to have all the best features of a small twin keel but with better hold on vertical surf or surfing backside. The incut keeps it loose but allows for easier and more in control top to bottom surf

A while back I chated with Rob about it and this some of the words from him:

“Maybe a little dramatic, but the Incuts work so well it is hard to believe more people aren't doing them. They work similar to the way a winged tail works, by creating a narrower tail for turns, but without all the skatey release.

The outline looks weird, but what you end up with is 2 boards in one. If you ride a 5'10" you have the outline curve of a 5'4", which makes the board super loose, but still has the glide and hold of the 5'10".

The idea isn't all mine by the way, as i was inspired by Mick Mackie in Australia, and he was inspired by skiing and incut boards from the 70s.. Alan Gibbons in Santa Barbara is another guy doing cool things with incuts as well.

Super fun!”

Well worth a double check before buying something else.

Rob on a 5'8 Incut Fish

Royal Surfboards

Born in the Bahamas, Rob Lion got intimate with the waves at the age of 12, while living in Florida. His first surfboard wasn’t something worth looking at but enough to get him hooked.

From the beginning, Rob became interested in shaping and spent hours at the local shaper watching and learning until starting to do some ding repair and hand sanding.

A few years later he moved to California to study and work. There he got the chance to work at Channin Surfboards in Encinitas, where worked not only Tony Channin but also Rich Pavel, Jim Phillips, Steve Clark and some of the best glassers of California. Being in the centre of everything really opened his mind to another reality in the surfing industry.

After California, Rob moved again, this time to Brasil where he worked with names like Mauro Roxo, Jeff Lopes and Endyroy. It was time to explore performance shortboards and learn more about performance and alternative materials.

After Brasil Rob moved to the UK where he still lives and shapes.

Rob shapes under the label Royal Surfboards and his designs reflect his experience and personal view of the surfing world. He shapes some nice classic logs, beautiful Twin Keels, modern Quad Fishes and some unique shapes like the Simzer or the Incut Fish. Rob isn’t afraid to explore new ideas and materials and it’s surely at the top of the line in Hybrid/alternative shapes in Europe, where his boards are known for their quality and performance.

You can learn more about Rob checking his website at http://www.royalsurfboards.com/ or his blog at http://royalsurfboards.blogspot.com/





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nascido nas Bahamas, Rob Lion, iniciou-se no surf aos 12 anos quando a sua família se mudou para a Florida. A sua primeira prancha não deixou grandes memórias mas foi o suficiente para o deixar viciado no surf.

Desde cedo o Rob interessou-se pelo fabrico das pranchas e passava horas no shaper local a ver e aprender o máximo que podia até que começou a fazer remendos e lixar á mão.

Alguns anos mais tarde mudou-se para a Califórnia para estudar e trabalhar. Lá teve a oportunidade de trabalhar na Channin Surfboards com o Tony Channin mas também com nomes como Rich Pavel, Jim Phillips e Steve Clark além dos excelentes laminadores que lá trabalhavam na altura.

Viver e trabalhar no centro da indústria do surf abriu-lhe novas perspectivas e influenciou claramente a sua visão do surf e shape.

Depois da Califórnia o Rob mudou-se para o Brasil onde trabalhou com nomes como Mauro Roxo, Jeff Lopes e Endyroy. Foram tempos dedicados ás shortboard e á exploração de novos materiais.

Depois do Brasil mudou-se para o Reino Unido onde vive e trabalha actualmente.

Sob a marca Royal Surfboards, Rob faz fantásticos logs clássicos, belas Twin Keels, modernas Quad Fish e alguns shapes únicos como a Simzer ou a Incut Fish. Sem medo de explorar novas ideias ou materiais, Rob tem-se mantido na vanguarda do shape híbrido/alternativo na Europa e as suas pranchas são sinónimo de qualidade e performance.

Podem conhecer mais sobre o trabalho do Rob em http://www.royalsurfboards.com/  ou no blog http://royalsurfboards.blogspot.com/

getting back

Over one month after my last post, it's time to return.
Like I said, the blog will be all about surfboards and shapers I like and some random stuff around it but this time fully independent. Without the commercial side I can talk about whoever I feel like. No more “don't show this or that” to avoid loosing costumers!
I will dedicate more attention to European shapers but without loosing contact with the best stuff coming from other places, especially California.
We have great shapers in Europe but most of them are small factories working locally. My objective is to bring some of this people to Magic Quiver and show their work so more surfers get to know them. By doing that I hope they take advantage of the extra visibility to make better and better surfboards because that’s the only way to survive in such a though market.

I already have a few names on hold but feel free to suggest any names you like, either shapers already established in the business or your local garage shaper.
Send all your suggestions, comments, critics, etc to magicquiver@gmail.com
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Mais de um mês passou desde o ultimo post e está na hora de regressar!
Tal como disse, o blog será dedicado aos shapers e pranchas que que eu gosto mas agora totalmente livre de pressões comerciais. Sem a parte comercial, eu posso escrever sobre quem me apetecer sem receio de estar a enviar clientes para a concorrência. Agora escrevo sobre quem quero não sobre com quem trabalho!
De agora em diante vou dedicar mais atenção aos shapers Europeus, mas sem nunca esquecer o melhor que se vai fazendo lá fora, especialmente na Califórnia.
Nós temos excelentes shapers na Europa mas a maioria são pequenas fábricas que se limitam a actuar localmente. O meu obectivo é trazer algumas dessas pessoas para a Magic Quiver e mostrar o seu trabalho a um público mais vasto. Ao fazê-lo espero atrair mais atenção para o seu trabalho e que usem isso como um incentivo para procurarem fazer pranchas cada vez melhores pois só assim podem crescer e sobreviver num mercado muito difícil!

Já tenho alguns nomes em carteira mas aceito sugestões, sejam shapers já consagrados ou o vosso shaper de garagem. O que importa é a qualidade e criatividade.
Enviem as vossas sugestões, comentários, criticas, etc para magicquiver@gmail.com

Don't dream It's over

(versão em Português abaixo)

Just over 3 years ago I started Magic Quiver with a simple idea in mind; bring to Portugal some of the best surfboards from California. Surfboards that I wanted to ride and weren’t available here. The lack of financial resources to open a real shop or import a lot of boards forced me to keep it small and only online but profit was never the objective because Magic Quiver was more like a hobby and I would keep my day job to pay bills!

Because our market is very small and most of the surfers didn’t knew anything about the shapers I was working with, most of the first 2 years were about promotion and getting the names out there. It was hard, with a lot of work and not enough sales to support it. But along the way I was lucky to meet/talk/exchange e-mails with some very talented people that thought me almost everything I know about surfboards and shape. That for itself paid all the work!

In 2009 my boards range expanded to European labels and I started doing some collaborations on shaping trips from US shapers to Europe. Just before the end of the year I had Josh Hall here working for me. For a first experience it worked out very well.
At the time I was already working with Wavegliders, a Portuguese label and with their support, in 2010 I went for another shaping trip, this time with Ryan Lovelace. The work paid off and the trip was a success with amazing feedback coming from all over Europe.
The business was going great with good sales both at MQ and Wavegliders and finally I had the attention of some websites and surf mags.

But not all is good. During this last year I’ve spent much more time working than with my family or surfing. When you don’t surf for a month and only see your kids for a few minutes a day, you realize that you’re working too much, way too much.

MQ or WG aren’t able to support me financially so I had to choose between them and my personal life and went for the obvious. My family and my free time are more important than any business, no matter how much I love it.

So, starting today, Magic Quiver stops all commercial activities. The blog will remain here but just for talk, without any intent to sell anything.
It’s not an easy decision, I came a long way to get here and it’s never easy to give up on dreams but I’m sure we will catch up again in the future. In the meantime we never know what opportunities might show up! I’m always open to proposals.

To end this long post, I just want to thank all of you that supported me and made Magic Quiver possible.

THANK YOU


This 1986 song by Crowded House fit’s well here!




Há pouco mais de 3 anos iniciei a Magic Quiver com um único objectivo - trazer para Portugal algumas das melhores marcas de pranchas da Califórnia. Pranchas que eu adorava experimentar e não estavam disponíveis no nosso País (algumas nem no resto da Europa). Como não dispunha de recursos financeiros para abrir uma loja ou importar grandes quantidades, dediquei-me ao comércio online e encomendas. Na altura, o volume de vendas e os lucros não eram importantes. A Magic Quiver seria apenas um hobby, uma vez que mantinha um emprego “normal”.

Durante os dois primeiros anos o meu trabalho prendeu-se mais com a promoção das marcas/shapers com quem trabalhava. Algumas delas eram desconhecidas da maioria dos surfistas nacionais e o nosso mercado demasiado pequeno para pensar em grandes vendas. Foram tempos difíceis com muito trabalho e pouca recompensa. Mas esse trabalho levou-me a conhecer muitas pessoas que me ensinaram praticamente tudo o que sei hoje sobre shape e pranchas de surf. Isso por si só compensou todo o trabalho!

Em 2009 expandi o meu catálogo para algumas marcas Europeias e iniciei algumas colaborações com fábricas que traziam à Europa shapers da Califórnia. Nomes como Jeff Mccallum, DJ Kane, Malcolm Campbell ou Chris Christenson.. Em Novembro desse ano arrisquei na minha primeira experiência e trouxe a Portugal Josh Hall. O resultado foi muito positivo e abria assim muitas portas para o futuro.

Nessa altura eu já colaborava também com a Wavegliders, uma marca Portuguesa que eu também ajudava a desenvolver. Com o apoio da Wavegliders, em Junho de 2010 trouxe a Portugal o shaper Ryan Lovelace, numa viagem que se revelou um enorme sucesso com bom número de vendas e um feedback incrível vindo de toda a Europa.
Os negócios corriam bem, tanto na MQ e na WG e finalmente tinha captado a atenção de revistas de surf e websites.

Mas independentemente da experiência que estava a adquirir, nem tudo era perfeito.
O hobby que tinha iniciado estava a deixar de fazer o seu papel para se impor perante o pouco tempo que tinha. Durante este ultimo ano, passei muito mais tempo a trabalhar do que com a minha família ou a surfar e, quando estamos um mês sem ir ao mar e apenas vemos os nossos filhos durante alguns minutos por dia, apercebemo-nos que algo está errado e estamos no mau caminho.

A MQ ou a WG ainda não geram por si só capital suficiente para me sustentar e por isso tive de escolher entre elas ou a minha vida pessoal e a escolha é óbvia. A minha família e o meu tempo livre são mais importantes do que qualquer negócio, por mais que eu goste dele!

Por isso, a partir de hoje, a Magic Quiver deixa de ser uma loja online, abandonando todas as actividades comerciais.
Irei manter o blog mas apenas para continuar a falar e escrever sobre o que gosto, pranchas e surf, mas sem qualquer intenção de vender seja o que for.
Pelos mesmos motivos termino também a minha colaboração com a Wavegliders.
Não é uma decisão fácil e nunca é fácil abdicar dos nossos sonhos, no entanto quem sabe o que o futuro nos reserva. Eu cá estarei para agarrar as oportunidades que apareçam!

Resta-me apenas agradecer a TODOS os que tornaram a Magic Quiver possível e me apoiaram ao longo destes anos. A todos o meu sincero OBRIGADO.

Rui Ribeiro

Em 1986 os Crowded House lançaram uma música que se adequa ao meu momento (ver video acima)