Frankenboard Finished!
The board is finished! The last bit of sanding was completed, a few coats of acrylic added, a wax and a shine, and Voila! The board came out really well, weighing in at 14lbs flat it isn’t the lightest board ever, but for the shape and thickness it isn’t bad. The final measurements are 6’1″ long, 22 3/8″ wide, 14″ at the tail, 19″ tail (1′ from back), 18 1/2″ nose (1′ from tip), and 2 7/8″ thick. Really hulled out all the way through the tail, with knifey rails and a flat-bottom channel.
Visually, the first impression spells “fast”. It looks so sleek without fins, the deep channel, and the near-flat top deck. The threaded inserts won’t be drilled out until I see the need, or until there is something to attach. The first piece to be added is the “tunnel fin”. I’ve always been curious about the characteristics of such a fin, and now I will try it. The pictures below show the final glassing of the fin. I will sand and hot coat it tomorrow, and then give it a spin.
I took the board out for the maiden voyage this evening, and it was sooo much fun! I only got a dozen or so waves on it, but they were nice waist high peelers.
First impression: Fast. And fun.
The board was quite difficult to maneuver at first, it seemed to be locked in pretty well and I found it really hard to turn. By the second wave that changed. This is the widest tail I’ve ever surfed, so that was an adjustment. Once I figured that out it went really well. The board sticks in the face of the wave really well, and in full control. If weight is transferred forward, the board takes off and becomes far more loose, allowing 180′s, 360′s, side-sliding, and many more fun things. I am really impressed how well the channel “bit” into the water, I tried sliding out of a couple waves at the end which resulted in me burying the rail and carving really hard rather than sliding the tail sideways. I did manage a few 180′s and 360′s, and am looking forward to more.
Martijn.
December 4, 2011 Category: Custom Board, Front Page, Pointwood 3 Comments 
Every Board Has A Story
Please check out our friend Andrew’s Kickstarter as he is fund-raising for a new documentary film. Help with a donation or just by spreading the word!
Every Board Has A Story is a multifaceted feature length documentary about the evolution of surf boards and the current efforts to produce environmentally friendly boards. The projects mission is to honor the past while creating an opportunity, an inspiration, and a call to action for environmentally conscious alternatives.
Thread 1: The film follows the 1st Annual Green Surf Board Challenge as board designers race to develop their innovative boards in time for the international trials held at one of the world’s choice surf locations. The project will document five notable participants’ setbacks and triumphs as they risk their reputations on their visions of the future of surfing.
Thread 2: The documentary explores the history and evolution of surfboard design from the original hand-made Hawaiian wooden boards to the manufacturing of modern synthetic boards. Segments include interviews with master board shapers asking them about their craft and ideas for the future.
Thread 3: Interview surf icons about the glory (and the contradictions) of their boards of choice, their assessments of green boards, and would going green take the joy out of surfing?
David Whitney and Andrew Rice of Kenai Productions are excited to announce their latest video
project, EVERY BOARD HAS A STORY, a feature length documentary about the evolution of surf boards and the current efforts to develop environmentally friendly boards.
Kenai Productions, a Maui-based production company and member of the Maui Film Alliance, has over 20 years experience in all aspects of video production. EVERY BOARD HAS A STORY is Kenai’s debut feature-length production, and has already garnered the support of many industry veterans.
Kenai is seeking pre-production funding through Kickstarter.com, a crowd funding website that facilitates investment pledges from the public for all kinds of great projects. “Investors” can pledge $10 to $5,000 toward EBHS, and will not be charged until the full amount of $12,950 is raised in the specified amount of time. With less than 60 days to reach their goal, every pledge counts, and you can help.
Where does the money go, you ask?
PHASE I
1. Develop production plan and pitch materials in order to attach sponsors, professional surfers,
and 5 ground-breaking shapers.
2. Write Treatment/Script – researched and written by David Whitney
3. Produce the 5 Minute Teaser- shot and edited by Andrew Rice
4. Kickstart the Green Surf Board Expression Sessions Challenge – coordinated by Ken
“Woozer” Goring
Their mission is to develop the materials necessary to acquire complete funding for the
documentary from sponsors, like QuickSilver, Billabong, Dakine, and other big surfing
companies. We will also be approaching green organizations and private investors.
For more info, write andrew@kenaiproductions.com.
Cheers!
December 4, 2011 Category: Front Page 1 Comment
The Flying Pig gets a new home
The Redwood Flying Pig board got a new home this week, across the street from the beach in a beautiful home. The mounts were built from reclaimed old-growth Redwood. Set on cork for protection, the board looks wonderful, and to quote the new owner “It really ties the room together, like The Big Lebowski’s rug”.
December 1, 2011 Category: Front Page, Pointwood, The Ventana Shop 1 Comment
Frankenboard progress
Progress on the Frankenboard continues steadily. Two days ago the rails were glued on, shaped, and the tail added on. Yesterday the cheater coat was put on, and the final sanding done. This morning I decided to add threaded inserts to the rails as well, so that the option to change the rail contours in the tail exists.
Of course I added some details to the board, a black abalone fish inlay in the tail, and Paua shell (I found in New Zealand) inlays in the nose. Sea urchins found at Andrew Molera State Park are inlayed in knots that fell out, and the vent plug has a brass ring and nails resembling a port hole from a ship. Fun stuff.
The board is being glassed with Entropy Super Sap 100/1000 Bio Resin.
Shaped by Martijn
November 27, 2011 Category: Custom Board, Front Page, Pointwood No Comments
TIDE Magazine in Germany features Ventana Surf Co.
The German surfing magazine TIDE published their newest issue today, and it includes a ten page story on Ventana! The connection came through Sebastian Stiphout, a professional photographer in Munich (and also Martijn’s brother!!!). He came out to help with the shop, shoot a lot of photos, eat a lot of burritos, and write the story. We’re working on a translation, and will post it as soon as its available. To say the least, it’s pretty sweet! Check out the pictures, and enroll your German friends to give you a brief translation for now.
November 25, 2011 Category: Front Page, Press & Media, The Ventana Shop No Comments
November 21, 2011 Category: Front Page No Comments
“Frankenboard” Finless Channel/Changeable Bottom Project
Hatched from a variety of ideas comes this wooden contraption dubbed the “Frankenboard”. Designed as a finless slider resembling a mini-simmons hull, with a deep channel running out the tail, this board packs a few extra surprises. The dark dots on the tail section in the above picture are small threaded inserts placed in a grid inside the board. What this will allow us to do is add on (bolt on) anything we choose. Fins, keels, channels, tunnels, all kinds of things. This board will be used as a test board to see what different contours and channel configurations work best, without having to build several identical boards with different bottom/tail contours. Although the options will still be somewhat limited, this will give us some more insight on making fun, unique boards. This one is built from more recycled wood – Cedar from the dump, Redwood from a Victorian, and Maple from a Contractors’ waste pile.
Check back frequently to see what’s happening with this project.
Shaped by Martijn
November 21, 2011 Category: Custom Board, Front Page, Pointwood No Comments
6’1″ Recycled Cedar
SOLD
The latest shortboard to be completed at Ventana is this beautiful 6’1″ Thruster. The decks, fins, and tail block are made from recycled Cedar planks, and the whole thing is glassed with Entropy SuperSap 100/1000 Bio-resin. This board has a convex bottom in the nose fading to a Vee in the tail.
Weighing in at 9lbs 15oz, this is the lightest board we have built so far. One of the weight-saving features this board has is an “open coat” on the deck, meaning that there aren’t any filler or gloss coats on deck. The rough texture of the glass is both aesthetically pleasing, as well as being functional by saving weight and providing a bit of grip for the wax. The vent and leash cups are also Cedar, with maple blocks underneath as support. An abalone fish is inlayed in the tail block.
Board available at Lumen Gallery in Capitola 831-607-9255
November 21, 2011 Category: Front Page, Pointwood, Stock Board Archive 3 Comments
First Friday at the R. Blitzer Gallery, Dec. 2nd, 2011
We are happy to announce that we will be part of the R. Blitzer Gallery “Oceans of Arts” show in December. The R. Blitzer Gallery is the consummate art gallery located on the west side of Santa Cruz, California in a renovated warehouse space that for years made Wrigley Gum.
Come by and check out the cool surf art and boards at the gallery. For more info give us a call at the shop, visit the Blitzer Gallery home page, or check it out on Facebook.
We hope to see you all there.
Friday, December 2nd, 2011. 4PM.
November 20, 2011 Category: Front Page, Local Events, The Ventana Shop No Comments
The Redwood Glider
The Glider is built for forward trim surfing, quick turning, and down-the-line effortless speed. It can be ridden in two foot soup, or overhead surf.
The deck is built from scrap poplar, and some very special redwood. The redwood was given to us by our good friend Alberto (aka Birdo). Alberto cleared a small grove of trees up in Bonny Doon some 30 years ago to help his godfather build a workshop. The leftover wood was milled, stacked, and left to cure until now.
November 17, 2011 Category: Board Page Gallery, Custom Board, Front Page, Uncategorized No Comments
Surf Movies “Charting New Waters” at the R. Blitzer Gallery this Wednesday Nov. 16
As part of the Santa Cruz Film Festival, there will be a night of surf movies at the R. Blitzer Gallery located just across the way from Ventana HQ in the Wrigley Building. The night is a precursor to a surf art showcase, (that we will be taking part in) which begins in December and run through January (more info to come). Drinks will be provided by Hula’s.
Hope to see you all there, and feel free to come early and stop by the shop before we head over!
November 15, 2011 Category: Front Page, Press & Media No Comments
Cleaning up the shop
We just took inventory of our cache of reclaimed wood, and we are sitting on a lot of future surfboards! We have been given, and have salvaged all of the wood that we use to build the interior frames of the boards, as well as lumber for the decks. Off cuts from cabinet shops, and redwood from the dump are transformed into vehicles of pure pleasure. We always enjoy it when people stop by and donate some wood to the cause, so if you have any old wood lying around don’t be afraid to bring it on by, and give it a new life in the sea.
November 12, 2011 Category: Front Page No Comments