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Folks we are working on building a more interactive experience with shapers and people interested in everything about surfboards and surfing. Please join us on Facebook at Surfboardbuilders. We have some pics up from Pascuales in September from one of our friends and a ringing endorsement of FCS's new fin system.

Jim Phillips wins the Billabong Art of Shaping Event at ASR San Diego

At the September ASR show here in San Diego Billabong sponsored The Art of Shaping event. The event was a custom surfboard auction with proceeds going to the SIMA Humanitarian Fund. The boards displayed were pretty insane and many of the shapers on Surfboardbuilders.com participated. Jim Phillips won the competition with the highest bid, some incredible stringer work, and using 2,500 year old redwood obtained from a winery in the Santa Cruz mountains. Here is the link to the Youtube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKSfsy74ZgM

From Swaylocks...here is more detail on how Jim made the board. http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/jim-phillips-billabong-art-shaping-asr-sept-2009 Other winners who are also shapers on Surfboardbuilders included runner up Bob Mitsven, 3rd place finisher Gary Linden, and Hank Warner... all exceptional shapers. Here is more on the contest from Surfshot. http://www.surfshot.com/Surf+Events/Billabongs+Art+of+Shaping+San+Diego+Edition+Raises+46,600+for+Charity-175300.html

Mitsvens New Surfboard Model Test - B Tail Quad

I took a B-Tail Quad to Costa Rica as one of a quiver of two. If you remember the B-Tail Quad is a new model from Bob Mitsven. It has a fishy type outline although is a bit different...just the outline and the rails which go from down at the tail to blady moving toward the mid section and nose. For those of you that haven't seen his boards many have rails that are just very different. This board also had a single to double concave bottom contour.

While it took a session or so to get a good fix on the sweet spot... this board rocks! It worked great for the smaller waves at the Jaco beach breaks (catching everything) and it really came alive in head high to overhead and a half Ollies and head high Witches Rock. The board allows you to get in early, has amazing speed down the line, and is great for round house cut backs. On hollower waves the rails allow for silky smooth mid-face adjustments and it sits in the pocket well although I confess that I didn't take it out on the bigger hollower days at Playa Hermosa. Its just not the board for this.

If you are looking for the latest in professional level, high performance, top to bottom equipment, again this isn't the board. If you are looking for a great all around board that's super fun to ride and has a good range its definitely a board to consider. Normally I just leave my boards in Costa Rica. This one, I brought back. Order it about the same size as you would a fish although I ordered one about 2" bigger than my fish.

http://www.surfboardbuilders.com/BrowseBoard.aspx?ShaperID=24

Surf video from the CR July 09 Swell

Here is some video from the late July swell in Costa Rica...just prior to the ISA World Surfing Games. Its got some beef! The video was taken from the Terrazza driveway in Playa Hermosa.

The Surf at Playa Avellana

Jaco is so busy with the ISA World Surfing Games that I´ve headed up to Tamarindo. The drive was easy and upon arrival was greeted with 3-4´ Avellanas with a slight offshore and a manageable crowd. It was a beautiful site. Man things have changed in Costa Rica sice my first trip in 1991. For one, the roads are way better. The drive from Tamarindo to Avellanes used to be a full 45 minutes through mud and sketchy riverbeds. Now its all good road with some dirt and there are bridges across all of the creek beds. Its 25 minutes and you don´t even need a four wheel drive SUV. Pardon the nostagia but that was some of the charm. Also Freddy´s shack is gone and there is a nice, bigger restaurant is on the beach with decent food.

Tamarindo itself is really different now and much bigger. After a couple days here I´ll comment on whether that´s been good or bad.

Later comment...its fine. A bit more crowded but a typical tourist town. They do have enough surf shops in town to meet most your surfing needs.

ISA World Surfing Games in Costa Rica

The World Surfing games started yesterday here in Playa Hermosa Costa Rica. The crowd was pretty big for this sleepy beach town and the waves decent. Here are a couple pics from Day 1. Pics coming as soon....

Surf from the Last Swell at Playa Hermosa

Here is a video from the site of the World Surfing Games in Playa Hermosa Costa Rica. Its from last week's big swell and was taken at the contest site at the Terrazza. The games started today with a parade of the teams in Jaco. My apologies, some of the video is a little shaky...but you can see the swell packed some punch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLSJvxi4lwQ