3700 Portola Drive at the corner of 37th. Santa Cruz. Bluecoil Surfboard warehouse comes to you! Look for us Saturday 9/4

For quite a long time now the SUP/stand up paddle board has been something that a lot of people in the industry have pushed real hard to promote.  Most industry people just want to sell product. I have seen some real pieces of Sh*$#t out there that are passing for SUP’s.  Many, me included, have feared the inevitable over crowding of wave zones by them and the eventual conflict between surfers. I have been working on designs for sometime now  and although enjoy it, I personally have a little trouble with them.  Here is why….its cheating!   It is just to easy to out position surfers and get the best waves….. With that said, I have chosen to not ride in established wave zones. Instead I have opted for lesser surfed spots/ crappy waves and also, utilizing them as pleasure craft/cruising.  Cruising, I can actually get behind because there is a huge amount of ocean, rivers, and lakes out there but very few surf zones.  It allows many people the opportunity to get involved in water sports.  I feel the more people that get out and do things on the water the more likely they will become conscientious and care for this amazing resource. The people who care most about the ocean are the ones using it.

Everyone of us at Bluecoil don’t care what you’re on out there.  Be it surfboard, SUP, kayak, boogie board, wind surfboard, kiteboard, sailboat, dinghy, whatever!   We do care that you optimize the experience and we think our boards do that best. That is why we make what we make.   Enjoy yourself out there, that’s why you do it, right?

Be looking out for the new Bluecoil Surfshop @ Pleasure Point! Not like many surf shops you will have ever seen. Boards boards and only boards..Well ok some wax, leashes bags and fins. Come and get to know the most knowledgeable, engaged and committed team of board builders, designers anywhere. Stay tuned for Opening Dates, and exact location!

With an ever present desire to improve the Bluecoil line up (and therefore your surfing experience). We Going to be bringing some new shapes to our Epoxy/Bamboo/XTR Surfboard line.

For the past 5 years I have been working on what many call the best surfing “Log/Traditional style Longboard ever. While that is a kinda hard thing to swallow. (blush)  But, I kinda do think so myself. We are going to be offering in limited numbers the Bob Miller Rambler in our Bamboo construction. The Bamboo sandwich is a great way to get more of the flex and therefore feel of a poly type construction. The bamboo boards have a more “familiar flex pattern” that reminds many of the traditional polyester resin and polyurethane foam boards.

The Rambler with its unique “scalloped” square tail, pivots, glides and yet carves like a true combo of a wide square tailed nose rider and round pin “point break trim machine”. Check back for more new developments for Bluecoil.

Back in the early 1980’s Bob Miller was involved (along with his own company ASD,) a new sailboard company Woodwinds. Woodwinds with Bob’s “Sandwich” construction knowledge created the first of the XPS Wood veneer laminated sailboards. These were strong and beautiful creations blending natural and manufactured materials. Step now into the year 2010, Bluecoil and Bob Miller have brought together the strength, beauty, sustainability and the possibility of recycling, XPS foam, Bamboo veneer and Epoxy resin. Surfboards and SUPs that will stun you with their beauty, strength and  ride-ability.

Stay tuned to The Bluecoil Web page for pictures and details of the the Newest Bluecoil offering. Value in strength. Value in innovation. Value in pricing. Value in experience. Value in fun!

Well here it is the winter of 2010!  I decided last fall that this winter I would spend time traveling to warm places.  With Lance here at Bluecoil, my opportunity to step out for a few weeks at a time is an opportunity I have not had for a while so I decided to take full advantage.  In Oct/Nov  I spent 2 weeks in southern Baja.  Driving the full length of the Baja peninsula is a travel experience not to be missed by any California surfer. The 1000 miles of surfable coastline is a surfers dream.  From cool water to warm water, reefs, beach breaks, and some of the best points in the world.  In December I flew to the eastern caribbean to stay with friend and surf, dive and fish for 2 weeks. If you have never been to that part of the Atlantic I would say check it out.  The Islands are amazing!  Next time I hope to have the opportunity to sail and surf between Islands, but, for sure I will need more time to explore….such a big planet so little time!  Last week I was in mainland Mexico.  I haven’t been there for 3 years and I will never let that happen again! There is so much good warm water surf in Mexico, thousands of miles of beaches, clear water, great food, nice people, amazing!  Mexico is really producing some good surfer these days and they are fun to share waves with.  In this business the opportunity to surf travel is the trade off for lower income and less possessions, its a lifestyle choice I made a long time ago.  For me I think I did the right thing.

What an amazing thing this surf lifestyle/business is. We have had such wonderful friendships and kinships developed over the last 30ish years.

A few days back I had a couple of guys come in to check out some boards. These 40+ year olds were just stoked as all get out to be buying new boards.

We walked through what they needed and I explained Bob’s thoughts on the boards they were looking at. One of the the men said they were so happy to find us because their first surfboards were shaped by Bob in the 80’s. They said the bought them at a surf shop owned by a guy named Lance! “That would be me” I said.  We laughed and talked about their old boards, which as my twisted mind works I remembered the boards, but not them.

They each bought full foiled Devolutions, that although are longer have very similar characteristics to the first generation thrusters they bought back in 1983!

I want to introduce a friend of mine who I have known for the last 30 years.  Over the years we’ve built just about every kind of surf craft imaginable. Together we have sold thousands of boards.  He is a very knowledgeable resource  for you to bounce thoughts off if you like. He will be assisting us at Bluecoil with many things and its a pleasure to have him around to surf and hang with.  Let me introduce you to Lance Eppard.

It’s so good to back in Santa Cruz and to be working again with Bob. Part of the last few years had me in Ventura running a surfboard factory and wholesale distribution for one of the largest and most well know modern longboard makers. But back here I get to rejoin Bob to make and sell a product that I can stand by and have for many years.

Bob and my history as friends goes way back. We used to take over the first surf shop I worked in, in 1978. We would bring his boards in and put them on the rack when the owner would go home about 3:00pm each day. We would put beer in the Coke machine, and thought we were just way cool.

Over the next 3 decades we  have accomplished a lot. We made the first 3-fin thruster in California after a friend sent a picture of Simon Andersons. In 1984 in the middle of our Quad fixation we started playing with Epoxy resins and EPS foam. In the late 80’s it was the custom sandwich Sailboards. Then in 90 Bob made my first surfboard in that manner. Out of the tens of thousands of surfboards I have been responsible to make and or  sell, I can honestly say I feel better putting a Bob Miller/Bluecoil in peoples hands than any other.

It is great to come home and surf with all of our old friends their kids and even now grand kids, wow!  Thanks for this opportunity Bob. Stay tuned to this Blog to hear about the past the present and the future not only of Bluecoil, but the sport and it’s people! Who knows you might notice yourself in this posting!

Lance

The weather changed yesterday, the first pacific storm of the season has come ashore.  I was in San fransisco for a memorial service and the weather seemed to convey the change we all felt.  I lost another friend….It seems like its just been that kind of year.  Let me tell you about Bill, 45 years old father of three.  Surfer, sailor, kiter, waterman extraordinaire.   A very gifted individual and to the San Fransisco Bay Windsurfing and Kiting community a huge inspiration.  Bill was diagnosed with a brain tumor a little over a year ago. it was operable and with kemo treatments there was a chance things would be ok.  Less than two weeks after his initial surgery, Bill rigged up his windsurf gear and sailed out into the San Fransisco bay, blowing everyone’s mind.  Everyone who was there said, they felt like fools for ever complaining about anything.  Stoked and fearless is how I describe Bill.  His positive attitude was infectious and his lust for life was strong till the end.  Over the course of the last year he never complained about his situation.  He just pressed on and kept his family comforted.

Bill is also remembered for having more gear for water sports than anyone in SF.  He never wanted to be in the situation of not having the right tool for the job.  Its almost like he lived his life knowing it was short, and that, the opportunity to get tuned into a good session  surfing or sailing was way too special to miss out on….. I think there is alot to be learned from that.  Thanks Bill for the memories, you will be missed.

I was having a few beers the other afternoon talking to a friend about surfing in the 70s and the boards from that era. We were both laughing at some of the stuff that was considered the proper equipment of the day.  For those of you who weren’t around I can honestly say, the boards nowadays are so much better to help you progress in your surfing.  There were a lot of great surfers then don’t get me wrong, but the boards weren’t really that great. Many of us were riding 7 to 8 foot pintails,  around 19 inches wide.  Those boards were more suited for north shore Hawaii barrels than California mush.  It was the mindset of the time….Lopez was the man and we all tried to emulate his style.   I still see some guys trying to ride those things in the wrong conditions…it makes me chuckle.    I think about the wide variety of interesting board shapes now, and there really is no excuse to struggle in futility.  Its more crowded and competitive now.  Boards have to be more versatile and when you do catch a wave its got to perform.   It still maybe difficult to catch a wave but the boards are way easier to ride…At Bluecoil we offer a demo ride, give it a try.  Read the rest of this entry »