Swaylock's: Treasure Trove of Surfboard Design
photos courtesy of Swaylock's
by JD Jenkins
posted 2003-09-15

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Being on the web, Swaylock's is starting to see contributors dropping in from all points on the globe. There's guys from places as far out as Japan or Holland. Paler reasons: "Certain aesthetics that Swaylock's holds up, like nice artwork, airbrushing, beautiful pinlining, the quality of a great glass job? these things seem to have worldwide appeal. There's these guys in Amsterdam who want to make a beautiful fish? they're just into the workmanship of building a perfect board, and they're finding the guidance they want on the site."

An eclectic range of topics is always present, and the best are reserved in the Resources section. Here you'll find some of the more compelling articles, discussion threads, and frequently asked questions. There's also a photo archive and links to other shaping sites. Paler realizes that his site has now matured into a full blown repository of anything to do with surf craft. With over 40,000 messages, he struggles with figuring out where it's all going and how to organize it.

The important thing is that it's all still there, intact and searchable. The best threads contain quality advice but plenty of humor. This lengthy discussion about which blank to use for a classic egg shape demonstrates the wide range and depth of input on such a topic: Which Blank?. In it you'll find the technicians, who appreciate the close tolerances of shaping matrices, and those (like Jim Phillips) who lean more toward simple look and feel. Then there's the bold discoveries that are generously shared, as in this thread started by Herb Spitzer, where he extols the virtues of the absorbent packing in diapers as cheap and viable replacement for surfboard filler: Groundbreaking Discovery. And in this post, a full history lesson unfolds out of a discussion of the Bojorquez egg shapes versus those from Greg Liddle: History Lesson.

COME TOGETHER, RIGHT NOW

Swaylock's will reach a new high later this month, when they hold their first real get-together in Big Sur. Several dozen campsites have been reserved at Plaskett Creek by John Mellor, a talented big gun shaper, who volunteered to coordinate the event. Paler hopes that a lot of people show up for the jamboree, but admits that if only five people make an appearance, it will be just as cool: "These guys will show up with their rigs packed with sticks and we'll just have a big ol' board lovefest. We'll drink some beer and cook up some barbeque, and maybe there will be a good south running or an early northwest." At any rate, the event will be the first of its kind, ever.

It's interesting to note that Paler, who has eleven boards in his quiver, has never shaped a board himself. "I swear I will shape a board someday!" he laughs. "I feel like I shape boards in my mind but haven't done so physically. I'm concerned about how boards are made, how they perform, and how that relates back to design, but the bottom line is that I'm just totally into surfing everything. Growing up I was always fascinated with older boards... I wanted to try out different boards. If everybody was riding a 6'4" thruster, I wanted to ride an ancient 8'6" mini-log. In developing the site, my thought was, "I haven't shaped anything yet, but at least I can talk with people that share the same passion for surfboards. And that holds true today for many like me."

Paler, like the others, could also be motivated by cost savings. Not counting labor, shaping your own surfboard can be less expensive than buying off the rack. The hobby itself is, of course, priceless. Paler notes that there are many shapes he wants to personally explore that would cost him too much money to get someone else to shape for him.

NEW FRONTIER OF OLD SOUL

In a period of surfing that has seen unprecedented levels of conformity, Swaylock's has emerged as an "outpost of surf culture", as Paler puts it. "Surfing changed a lot in the last eight years or so. It's become huge, mainly due to sheer marketing blitz, and I think it's lost a lot of its soulfulness over that time. There's a big component today where everyone is riding the same type of board the same way. They think and act the same way. It's like everyone is in the same band, and everyone is just playing electric guitar."

"Surfing has traditionally been the sport of individuals and strong personalities. The guys that involve themselves in the forum are saying, "I'm not going to buy what everyone else is buying. I'm going to make my own board. The result is participants who actively resist a herd mentality. Because of this element, Paler contends, the soul of surfing has no choice but to survive at Swaylock's.

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