Diamond Tail Mini Simmons - Co-shape with Brandon

Brandon completed his first selfshape just in time for summer.

He got it over halfway done and I finished it out for him. He really enjoys logging so we set out to create a mega mini simmons that would allow him to catch just about as many waves as he is used to on his longboard.

We toyed around with various tail designs but ended up with the classic diamond for more float, glide and easy turning. We put some knifey beveled down rails on her for control and bite and kept the deck flat to give him plenty of volume for easy paddling and a skateboard type feel. Combine all that with the quad fin setup and killer fabric inlay, and you have one gorgeous, rocket fast, shred sled.

Dimensions came out at 6’6” x 22.5” x 3”

Very enjoyable process, had a blast collaborating on this one, and beyond stoked on the final product.

May the stoke be with yew,
James Samaha

Rounded pintail Log - Co-shape with John

After seeing Luke on his fresh log in the line up (referring to previous post), my CPA John had to have one too, so we set out to shape a 9’0” log inspired by a sweet Ricky Carroll shape. We spent many a chilly morning in The Laboardatory and hacked out a really fun shape just in time for summer. The wide nose and rounded pin tail combo allows for easy paddling and effortless smooth turning. We shaped it from EPS and glassed it heavy so it glides through the flats and should last him a very long time. The dimensions came out as follows:

Length: 9’0”

Thickness: 2 7/8”

Nose: 19” Middle: 23” Tail: 14.25”

And here are a few photos:

Here she is next to the boards that we were inspired by.

May the stoke be with yew!

James Samaha

The "Bipolar Log" - Co-shape with Luke

Behold the "Bipolar Log" 9'5"x23.25"x3.25"

Co-shaped with Luke Sharp this snub nosed moon tail log has fabric inlays from Mozambique and South Africa. The fin box in the nose and tail make it two boards for the price of one and that's where we got the name, Bipolar. It's Template was adapted from one printed off of blendingcurves.com











Maiden voyage for the Bi-polar log was a success, he said it fits his style perfectly.

Stay stoked!

-James

The Laboardatory Surf Co

After visiting the mother ship, Shaper Studios, in San Diego a couple years ago, I was inspired to take the Selfshape concept back home to the East Coast and do my part to share it with anyone that would listen. I'd been having so much fun shaping myself boards that I decided it was time to open it up to my local crew. So I named my shed The Laboardatory, got a few friends started on their first Selfshapes and created The Laboardatory Surf Co, a fraternal brotherhood of selfshape enthusiasts.


My amazing wife had this logo created for me by my surfer bruddah Andy.


Padawan number 1 was Brandon.
 
He's taking his time and really enjoying the process.

Padawan number 2 was Luke.
 
Together we co-shaped this crazy blunt nosed moon tail log. Next post will have more details on this big chunk of foam we are affectionately calling the "Bipolar log".

There’s something addictive and infectious about mowing foam and creating something with your own 2 hands. It fulfills some primordial or antediluvian instinct. Buck, after a couple mornings in the shed, getting his beard filled with foam, decided to setup his own bay and before you know it he had cranked out a couple sick sleds.
 
Our respect for the craftsmen that have come before us grows with every pass of the planer. Every board we learn something new and that’s what keeps it fun. While the shapes might not be perfect, the waves won't ever know the difference. 

We are all family men first and foremost so most of the time we end up shaping before work around 5:30am while the kids are still sleeping. We're taking it all one step at a time and enjoying the process. While you can do anything, you can't do everything and that's why for now we outsource the glassing to a local shop run by Jamie Tuttle of Maya Surfboards. 

Nothing comes close to the stoke of riding a board you’ve shaped with your own 2 hands. Come, join the Selfshape revolution!

-James

"Pleasant Plunder" - Custom for Ian

Presenting the "Pleasent Plunder"   6'4"x21"2 5/8"

This board was a custom for Ian, brother to pro surfer Nate Dorman. It has a nice wide outline and plenty of volume for easy paddling. The pulled in rounded diamond tail means you can still get this board on rail, despite its floaty, full bodied appearance. With a flatter rocker and higher volume it should generate plenty of speed and glide. The single fin box and quad setup allows for a variety of fin setups depending on your mood. 

Shaped by hand from a stringerless eps blank.

 

 

Quality control guy.

 

 

This was the board we modeled it after.

 

As i was "researching" one day I ran  across this new shape by Hayden Shapes, looks like they might have been twins separated at birth, but one was raised by hippies and the other by... James Bond? 

 

This very well could be that ever elusive "one board quiver".

Stay stoked!

-James

"London Fog" A Modern Longboard - Custom for Doug

"London Fog" a Modern Eps Epoxy Longboard 9'x23"x2 3/4"

 

Doug's previous longboard was a beautiful hand shaped poly Perfection and so we took that general idea and came up with this beauty in EPS Epoxy. The nice wide outline allows for stability for fancy footwork and being eps it's much lighter and buoyant and feels very lively and snappy. 

Doug is a world traveler and one of his favorite pit stops is London so we did a fabric inlay of the map of London, along with some beautiful resin tint work by Jamie Tuttle of dynamic glass.

 

 

 

 

Hot coat!

 

Family photo, old board and new side by side for comparison.

Stay stoked!

-James

Performancy Fish - Custom for Morgan

Introducing the performancy fish 6'2"x21"x2.75


This was a custom inspired by a Michael Dolsey shape for long time local shredder Morgan Hickman. Added a little more girth but kept the general outline pretty close.








This was a fun one, most performancy shape I've done so far and first poly blank I've worked with other than the reshapes I did when I first started out.

Stay stoked!

-James

Double Agent - Custom for Doug

Say hello to my hefty friend, The Double Agent 7'7"x23"x3" 

My good friend and mentor Doug usually rides longboards but on a recent trip to Cali had an epic session on a Walden Mini Mega and he had to have one. The Double Agent is my take on that shape. It's a high volume compact design, for the longboarder wanting something more shredable or the beginner looking for a stable floaty stoke harvesting machine.

The length-to-volume ratio is what delivers significant performance advantages over other mid length surfboards.

The beveled rail, wide outline and flat deck allow for a lot of volume which promotes speed and glide while the bottom contours allow for sensitivity and responsiveness rail-to-rail. 

The outline is designed for performance. Both the nose and tail have been pulled in to allow the board to fit into more critical parts of the wave, and turn in a tighter radius. A little extra flip in the nose rocker allows for late steep drops.

 

 

Doug loves it and said it makes him feel like a kid again! 

 

Stay stoked!

-James