9'1" Noe Rider

Kolin just picked up his first Blind Dog, a sweet nose rider that will last him for long long time. This came out to 19.5 pounds, 23.25" wide, 3.25" thick, 19.5" nose and 18" tail, with 8 1/2" tail block. Nose and Tail Blocks are Cedar and Balsa. This single fin also has a 30/70 rear foil for more nose life and 1/4" concave running about 1/3 of the board length with rest of board have slight V lower deck profile for maneuverability. The rails are shaped like an Alaia giving it good bit yet easy to turn. Foam boards could never take the rail design we use, just not enough foam left in a rail for any strenght.  This board features a Turtle inlay along with first use of special Turtle tattoo done by Andrea Cecconi, Italy. Here is a link to Andreas work:

 

 

 

 

Keeping Butts of Our Beaches

Surfrider Cape Fear Chapter needs your support. For all you locals, please cut and paste the address list below and either craft your own letter (click here to see Cape Fear Chapter's website for this issue)  In short:  Wrightsville Beach NC imposed a ban on smoking on their beaches. Now NC state government wants to over rule local authority and remove that self-imposed ban.

You can cut and paste the address list to make it easier to send this letter of concern to our state representatives.

 "Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net" ; "Jim.Davis@ncleg.net" ; "Trudy.Wade@ncleg.net" ; "Tamara.Barringer@ncleg.net" ; "tan.Bingham@ncleg.net" ; "Don.Davis@ncleg.net" ; "Thom.Goolsby@ncleg.net" ; "Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net" ; "Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net" ; "Ellie.Kinnaird@ncleg.net" ; "Gene.McLaurin@ncleg.net" ; "Martin.Nesbitt@ncleg.net" ; "Louis.Pate@ncleg.net" ; "Jeff.Tarte@ncleg.net" ; "Michael.Walters@ncleg.net"

Subject: Ban on Smoking at NC beaches

I respect the rights of citizens and local governments in determining how they want to regulate their communities. SB 703 is designed to overturn a referendum voted in place by a strong majority of the citizens of Wrightsville Beach and limit the authority of municipal governments throughout the state.  I feel that this bill goes a long way in taking the power out of the voter’s hands and places it squarely in the hands of government.  This bill, as it is written, would also remove the rights of our community colleges to be able to effectively govern their campuses.  In my opinion, this would be a step backward in the democratic process we hold so firm.  As it stands, this bill is a clear example of special interest groups and lobbyists trying to trump the will of the public.
As our elected official, I ask that you please stand strong in helping to promote clean and healthy communities and OPPOSE SB 703.

We pickup trash constantly. Most disheartening is cigarette butts. They do not degrade and pose health risk to fish and wildlife.

Sincerely and thank you for taking time to help our community.

Three short boards by Tom Allen - ready to glass

Tom is about through  shaping and sanding these three boards. Well shaping is a bit of a misnomer, the shape is determined long before they look like something to surf. When Tom finishes the spar for nose and tail rocker, the ribs are matted to spar for a three dimensional 'well here is what it looks like' preview. Take a little imagination at this point but after building about 30 boards, thinking how it looks is not too difficult.

All these are all Western Red Cedar that will show their beautiful grain patters after first lamination coat. If you are interested in a board, let Tom know and he can customize just about any decal you want. We even put a drawing of pet lizzard on one board, pet dog on another.

Drop an email or call Tom if you want more details: 404-229-4223,  email: Blinddogsurfboards@yahoo.com

Mini-Simmons. Planning hull design with custom wood fins.  This board is 5'9" x 21", very light weight. Photos do not do the grain pattern justice. Come over and see for yourself.  Price: $590

           

Front view                                                Back view

Fishy Fish 7'5" x 23"  We have made a few of these, they are fast, sweet boards. All Western Red Cedar. Yes Cedar can be white, which adds to the uniqueness of each board. Price $750

 

         This is front side photo. Back side was too blurry so Tom is reshooting it, if and when we get some sun here in NC. :)

This 6'5" x 21" Hot Rail short board. Wicked fast shape with plenty of rail foil for rapid transisitions along beach break surf. Price: $650

           

                  

Tom and Dan on a small day at Sunset Beach

Not often we have someone taking pictures but thanks to Larry we now have both of us surfing on the same day. The day was small but off shore wind and just few of us out having fun. Taken February 2013.

Tom:

Tom shooting SB pier

Tom nice right

Dan promising not to ram Tom

Love this Nose Rider with pinched rails (Evo rails)

Second Annual Chris Crocker Memorial Surf Off --Mini Simmons Raffle

This year we will again celebrate the life of Chris Crocker.

Some of you make have known Chris, many of you did not. He was a great father to his children Brittney and Jake  and to wife Amy, good friend to surfers he knew and did not know. If anyone needed help, he was there and usually with Jake in tow. Chris died unexpectedly  November 2011 and folks from Eastern Surf Association (our East Coast organization that handles major surf events out here) is putting together an event in Chris honor.   http://www.esa-snc.com/

Here was our Paddle Out celebration for Chris: Paddle Out

And here is what last year's Surf Off was about: Surf Off for Chris

Like last year, we are building something sweet to raffle off, this time a 5' 8" all Cedar Mini-Simmons. There is a slight spoon up by the first 1/3 bottom deck tapering into a single concave exiting out the tail. Here are build pictures:

                    

Single Concave

Balsa and Cedar Nose Block

1.5" from tail, 1" in at trailing edge, 1/4" toe-in and 5 degrees cant. Fins are 4.5" x 9"

First two top deck book matched Cedar. Note concave bottom deck profile. 

For added strength added is an upper and lower Poplar wood 1/4" strips. Poplar is rather ugly wood but bends
without snapping and has good strength.

Tickets are:

1 for $5.00

3 for $10.00

8 for $20.00

 OIB Surf and Java will have this board when finished (mid-March)  and raffle tickets.   Also at the event, folks can purchase tickets. 

IF YOU WANT, you can use our PayPal account to buy tickets ( danandyo@yahoo.com )  Yo is my wife Adrienne. Give us your mailing address and we will return one side of the raffle ticket(s) to you and the others will go into the drawing.

Shipping: Jessie (OIB Surf and Java) will help ship at best rate he can get.  So don't be timid about not getting this stunning work. Surf it or Wall Art it.    :)

Any questions, email us at: BlindDogSurfboards@yahoo.com

 Thank you for your support.
Dan and Tom

$1150 - Building a 9'6" Nose Rider

I started this in early December. There is an exhibit in Raleigh, NC in March, that is being sponsored by NC Fine Arts Society  that we entered into, at least sent in an application for 3 dimensional art submission. I can just see their eyes rolling, "Must be something in the air in Calabash....a surfboard?"  Well we will see. This board is being built for that event. All the woods are matched and with exceptional grain patterns. If it doesn't make their cut, guess I'll just have to surf it. ;)

Here is 4 frames per minute video of this build out. This board is 23.5" wide, 3.25" thick, at nose is 18.5" and tail is 16", and has our Evo rail foils. It will have 2+1 fin array but will probably be surfed with a Bing 10" Hatchet fin only.

                                

 

I started to sand with new 5" Dewalt disc sander but too much noise and did not like the results. Seems in talking with other HWS builders, there is a point where you are tired of noise and just do it by hand. Actually hand sanding is rather rewarding. You can see your work as it changes from gobs of glue and hunks of wood into something that has a bit of your soul forever in it.

A discussion about rails

All our long boards have been using what Dennis calls Evo taper. Much like an Alaia,  they offer really good control that you can not get with foam. I've seen Bing's Silver Spoon nose rider and it has a softer version of our taper but we can get a much better defined, thinner taper with wood. On Dennis blog he wrote this about his design:

Rails make me happy. The tapered rails I've been surfing and building are the best. I'm reminded of this every time I get out in the water. It's a lot easier to manage my board when it doesn't have those fat boaty rails. You wouldn't think it'd make much of a difference but, it does.
Tapered rails work for me for two reasons. I think it's easier to catch waves because of the board's foil shape. The only way to get that shape is with tampered rails. What I like best though is having better rail control when dropping in or turning. With a fat not so tapered rail, it's a lot harder to feel that rail. The shape of the bottom also makes a huge difference. I like some belly in the middle, nose concave and vee in the tail. Those features work better for me than a board with a flat bottom.
Ok, that's how it works for me. I love my evo and the nose rider is going to be even better. All you guys that have to run to the nose to stay in the wave know what I'm talking about.
D. 
http://dirtycrowssurfboards.blogspot.com/2010/09/its-all-about-rails.html

I'm not a big wave chaser, sort of been there, done that kind of mentality but I took an Evo railed 8'4" Mini Mal out at Ocean Isle Beach pier. Took three good waves and found this foil to work really well on over head surf. It give good rail bite and really good edge control. As Dennis states it works equally good with a nose rider profile.

Who is visiting Blind Dog Surfboards

Thought we would share with you where our readers are coming from:

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Shaper Tom's 6'2"

 Cedar wood, tri-fin 21" wide. Getting ready to work on it's Pin Tail shortly. Designed to be fast and responsive.

Bookcase for Surfers - $475

Between board projects, except now Tom is finishing up couple of short boards and I'm thinking about couple more 9'0" Competition boards, one for East Coast fellow. I really enjoy the 9'0" I just finished, nice blend of speed, maneuverability and nose riding. I'm adding nose concave to the next ones.

I have been wanting to build a surfer's bookcase. The door is holding a board has been glassed with epoxy and while is tempting to surf, it might work as a skim board but not surfboard. It is 1" thick, spruce wood book matched to show grain and figuring. Turtle is inlayed blue Abalone shell.   Here's what I ended up with.