Anyone with even half an idea of current trends in surfing outside the all encompassing thruster movement will doubtless be aware of the emergence of the mini simmons as a new branch on the board design tree, yet few people outside of California will have ridden one.

Given my well documented obsession with surfboard design i was really interested to find out more about them.

Coming out of the work of Simmons in the late 50′s and his adherence to the principles of even earlier boat hull theory, the concepts were rediscovered by Richard Kenvin as part of his Hydrodynamica project. Working with Joe Baugess from much longer simmons originals  and referencing apocryphal stories of simmons riding a styrofoam 6 footer til the windansea shorebreak destroyed it, they first made a 9 foot replica in balsa. Kenvin and co. successfully rode this in large waves in both California and the Galapagos, then they went shorter.

The result was an epoxy 6 footer quite unlike anything else out there, a seemingly simple shape with decpetive subtleties. This first board was named “casper” after the friendly ghost and started to pop up in photos and videos around the net a couple of years ago. Having been ridden by a number of high profile surfers, all well documented with glowing ride reports the idea caught on and quickly many different shapers began to take the idea and put their own spin on it.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that few people in the UK have actually seen one of Baugess original shapes though there are a few UK shapers who are making a version. For the past 6 weeks or so i’ve been riding the little 5’8 in the pictures and it’s very quickly become my favorite board. This one is a Point Concept Velo sim, designed by Ryan Lovelace in Santa Barbara but loving shaped over here by Tim Mason off Ryan’s templates.

Tim actually does a very fine copy of the Baugess which is shorter and thicker than this with a more pronounced s deck and has a slightly more complicated bottom shape. My board is bellied to flat to concave through the fins, 5’8 x 22 x 3 but foiled out through the rails. The fins are wood keels but more semi-circular in shape than those for a classic fish.

So after digesting all the hype i was keen to get a feel for the shape people are raving about, and let me tell you it’s a hell of a lot of fun!! It’s definatley a board that draws lateral lines rather than truly vertical ones on the wave. The feel is probably best described as being like riding a bar of soap. It rolls from rail to rail smoothly and cuts through the water much like the feel of a hull. It’s a board you need to get low on as you bottom turn and it feels great in a high line trim. Where it differs from the hull is in turning.The fins are set well back, only a few centimetres from the tail and the board will pivot off the bottom or the top much like a normal twin keel fish. Once you outrun a section it cuts back like a skatey loose fish so you can set up for the next speed run, then repeat til your grinning like a loon and hooting yourself!

It’s much friendlier on your backhand than a hull too. Like a hull, the roll in the bottom gives it a slightly “unsafe” feel as you put it into a bottom turn. It requires a bit of practice to get the right amount of weight on the rail as you start the turn, you almost need to gently but progressively weight the rail but once you have that figured it performs backside too.

Like any board, it loves a clean down the line wave, i’ve had it out in headhigh and under surf so far and the speed it generates is awesome. Where it really excels, however,  is in junk surf. I can honestly say that a couple of weeks ago i had the best surf ever in 1-2ft sloppy windswell. The combination of effortless speed generation and quick direction change facilitated by the bottom contour and short length respectively give you the ability to chase the open face through, over and around whitewater and maximise the fun in poor conditions. It could be the ultimate junk wave design, as long as you’re not a died in the wool shortboarder desperate to live out your slater fantasy for every surf.

While Tim obviously isn’t the only shaper who will make you one of these, i honestly think few shapers in the UK understand boards derived from hull principles as well as he does and for something like this you want someone with that knowledge. Ryan, whose original design this is, has a proven track record in these types of shapes with a group of like minded test pilots and Rincon to work out the flaws. Once again not it’s not going to be everyones cup of tea but it is a MUCH more functional daily driver than a hull while still retaining the smooth feel and different enough from a Lis style fish to warrant having both in your quiver.

These shapes are a different branch of the tree than conventional concave bottom shortboards and if you believe Kenvin, are the true ancestors of the modern high perfomance board as well as both skateboarding and snowboarding. Big claims but the proof as they say, is in the eating!

]]> http://www.driftsurfing.eu/index.php/archives/6407/feed 4 http://www.driftsurfing.eu/index.php/archives/4712 http://www.driftsurfing.eu/index.php/archives/4712#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:51:51 +0000 Niega http://www.driftsurfing.eu/?p=4712 I started following Tristan Mausse through his blog back when he was glassing for the French brand UWL. Shortly after he left Europe with his girlfriend to travel the world, and they settled down for an extended surf/work trip in Australia, (…)

(…) where he worked for several shapers while showing his paintings in a few art galleries. On his return to France he moved south to Biarritz, where he has been busy making art and glassing beautiful boards for some very renowned shapers. In a few weeks he is opening his own glassing business in Anglet (Creamy Glassing) and I decided it was a good moment to finally meet him and find out more about this very young (21) artist:

(Tristan) I became very interested in surfing from a very young age, like 8 or 9, at the same time as I started skateboarding. But I obviously didn’t have any money for a board so I could only surf in summer on borrowed boards… or skate. When I was 15 I started an apprenticeship in carpentry. With my first salary I finally managed to buy my very first board board, an old “Hawaiian Juice” and since then I’ve been surfing every week, basically at Ile de Ré and Ile d’Oléron.

Where do you surf normally these days? And what type of board?

These days I surf in the Anglet/Biarritz/Bidart area. I love it! I normally ride retro boards; I’m a big fan of them. I love beautiful boards and odd boards that are made to glide… just as long as they have good glass jobs.

What’s your current job?

I’m a freelance glasser and I work wherever I’m offered a job. Currently I split my time between two places. I work with Daniel’s Longboards – he’s a good friend of mine and, like myself, a fan of all things retro. I also work with Fabrice Morous at Blend Glassing, from whom I’ve learnt a lot (thanks Fab!). And now I’m about to open my own little glassing business in Anglet that will specialize in glassing, tints and polishes.

You have a blog devoted to mini-simmons boards. That is actually how I found out about you first. Where does your interest in these boards come from? Have you surfed any?

About three years ago I found photos of mini-simmons on different blogs. They were the very first that were being shaped, by Joe Bauguess and McCallum. I fell in love with the design, the concept, the shape. Not long after a friend of mine from UWL and myself wanted to have one shaped, so with Renaud Cardinal we started researching the fins (that I made) and we shaped the very first one that we both fell in love with. Since then that’s is the only board I ride except when I use a log. As far as I am concerned the mini-simmons are far better than the fishes.

As a European glasser who has worked for different Australian shapers, what are your thoughts regarding the way they approach their art? Is the average shaping level very different between Europe and Australia?

From my experience in Australia I’ve learned a lot, both personally and professionally. That has motivated me a lot and pushed me to open my own little business. Australia was definitely a very important experience for me. Clearly you’ve got many more board makers in Australia than in France, everywhere I worked they demanded the very highest level possible, sometimes they were extremely touchy about this. But they are very good and they make a very good job. Having said that I think you can find some very good boardmakers in France too, and they are producing a superb job. The potential is awesome.

What shapers have you glassed for?

Renaud Cardinal (UWL, T&C hawaii, Sharp Eye, Classic Malibu, Bob Cooper…); Rhino Laminating (Channel Islands, Steve O’donell, Campbell Brothers, Mike Psillakis); Sean Wilde, Aido (Rusty), Michael Cundith (George Greenough), North Coast Surfboards (Bear Surfboards, Donald Takayma, Rooster, Dick Brewer, Dick Van Straalen…), Peter White (Classic Malibu), Axel Lorentz, Daniel’s Longboards, Blend Glassing (Channel Islands, Billabong, Zaka, Chris Christenson, Josh Hall…)…

Who has impressed you the most and why?

Renaud Cardinal (UWL) without a doubt. He is an excellent shaper, a lovely guy, very passionate about his job, from whom I’ve learnt a lot and he’s a role model for me.

When looking at your art one is surprised that it’s got nothing to do with what we could call “classic surf art”… but you are showing your paintings in real surf meccas and some of it on surfboards. Do people from these places accept it easily or they are rather reluctant to move away from traditional surf art?

You are right, my paintings have very little “classic surf art” in it… if any at all. It’s more my “skate and rock’n roll” side that comes out. But I think that it’s been quite well accepted. On the other hand, when I’m making a board for myself I’d rather do a nice resin tint than one of my paintings.

Art influences? Graffiti?

Sure, 100% street art and graffiti. There are plenty of artists that I love dearly and that inspire me such as Dulk, Morning Breath, Koa, Thomas Campbell, Alexone…

Finally: where can we see your paintings?

At the UWL gallery. Also at Spacejunk in Bayonne and the Retrospect Galleries in Byron Bay (Australia). And also on some decks from Rekiem Skateboards.

Rui: You started out in the surfboard business packing boards for Christenson. Did that mark the beginning of your interest in shaping, or what it something you had already considered?
Jeff: For sure, from the very beginning, even before Christenson, I wanted to shape. I just didn’t have access to the necessary means. But once I got into Chris’s place it was on; shaping really consumed my life, I lost a lot of sleep thinking about boards. But it’s hard to get the opportunities I had – I was really lucky. So I try to help out people who are into it when I can, trying to share the stoke.

Rui: Was Christenson was a big influence on the kind of surfboards you make now?
Jeff: Yeah, he was a big influence, just because I learned so much from him. I got into his place right when he started the alternative thing, and all I rode was alternative boards so I fitted in well there. I learned a lot from Chris, and that has been a big part of what I create. But when I moved on to do my own thing, my influences began to spread more and more, and are still spreading today.

Rui: You’re from San Diego, home of the fish, yet you only shape ‘alternative’ surfboards. How come you don’t do fish? Just not your thing, or is it that you want to go beyond that?
Jeff: I was into fish for a little bit, and made some I really liked, but once I was over it I never looked back. I guess they aren’t my thing, but that comes from wanting something better. This is partly because being taller (I’m 6’3”), I was riding bigger fish (around 5’10”), but I believe for traditional fish to work as they are designed or how I want them to work they need to be small – like 5’6” and under. That’s where the Quagg came from. I learned how to surf on singlefin eggs, and then transitioned to fish, but felt the parallel rails would gag and not be as fluid. So I went back to the egg – it was gonna be a singlefin but I had been reading about quads and went for it. So I made a 5’10” and the thing was insane. Everyone that rode it wanted one. It wasn’t ever shaped that well, but the idea worked so I knew they would only get better.

Rui: Since you made your first Mini-Simmons it has become a pretty common design. How did you came up with that, and do you think it’s just hype or does the design really work?
Jeff: The first Mini-Simmons was Casper. It was shaped by Joe Bauguess for RK, and they’ll tell you that they each came up with it. But I saw that one and did some research on Bob Simmons and decided to make my idea of the Simmons so I made the second one ever. Casper was painted all-white so I made mine all-black, which fitted well, since I got so much shit for making those boards in the beginning ’cause those guys were claiming it as theirs. When in reality it is a Simmons design that has been resurrected. So mine was the Black Sheep of the Simmons, which I kind of like. I think it’s rad that so many people are making and riding them now, and it’s even better to see the variations people are coming up with. I think the design works really well, but they are the type of board that – to get what you want out of them – you have to commit to them. But they are for real, for sure.

Rui: You say that your New B model is “designed for the ultimate performance while not a shortboard”. Do you think you’ve pushed your designs to the limit?
Jeff: The New B is a relatively new design for me, and in the last year I’ve been refining it to get it there in terms of performance. The deck and rail design allows you to ride a smaller, thinner board than your standard alternative board and still maintain all the paddle. Yet its thinness and progressive rail retains the performance. I was doing it for a long time, but have now refined it – I always knew it worked but now I understand how and why, and how far I can push it without losing anything.

Rui: You’re not only a great shaper but also a great glasser known for the quality and attention for detail. Do you still glass a lot of boards yourself or are you concentrating on shaping right now?
Jeff: Right now I’m concentrating on shaping, but all my boards are glassed under my roof. I have built a small team that shares my passion for the details and are amazingly skilled. But I still enjoy getting in the resin. I’m gonna start a solo series for which I will do every step, from start to finish. I still do 90% of all the resin colour on my boards.

Rui: Shaping or surfing? What comes first? And what board do you usually ride on your daily sessions?
Jeff: It used to be surfing, but in the last few years shaping has become more of a priority. I still check the waves everyday, but I pick my days better. I enjoy the big days the most, so I try to get my work done when it’s small so that when the waves are pumping I can be on it. But this season was really small so I’ve been spending more time freediving and spearfishing.

Rui: What are your expectations about Europe? Do you think the European surfer is much different from the US ones?
Jeff: I expect Europe to be rad – I think the European surfer has a better understanding of what they want and what they appreciate. I’m looking forward to getting some boards over there and getting people stoked.

A couple of weeks after this interview, Jeff was in France at the UWL factory where he shaped some boards and got everybody stoked.

www.mccallumsurfboards.com

- Jeff, começaste a trabalhar na indústria do Surf a embalar pranchas para o Chris Christenson. Foi aí que tudo começou ou já era algo que tinhas em mente?

Claro, desde o início, mesmo antes do Chris queria ser shaper. Eu apenas não tinha acesso aos meios necessários. Mas assim que cheguei ao Chris, estava lançado. O shape consumia todo o meu tempo, a minha vida. Perdi muitas noites a pensar em pranchas de surf. È muito difícil ter as oportunidades que eu tive, fui muito sortudo. Por isso eu tento ajudar aqueles que estão interessados, sempre que tenho oportunidade, partilhando a minha paixão.

- O Christenson foi uma grande influência no tipo de pranchas que fazes agora?

Sim, ele foi uma grande influência, logo pelo facto de que eu aprendi tanto com ele. Eu cheguei quando ele começou a cena alternativa e tudo o que surfava eram shapes alternativos por isso eu encaixava bem aí. Eu aprendi muito com o Chris e isso é visível em grande parte do que criei. Mas quando me mudei para a minha própria marca, as minhas influências alargaram-se e continuam até hoje.

- Tu és de San Diego, origem do design Fish e apenas fazes pranchas alternativas, mas nenhuma Fish. Porquê? Não é a tua linha ou quiseste ir além disso?

Eu estive ligado ás Fish por algum tempo e fiz algumas que gostei bastante, mas assim que segui em frente nunca mais voltei atrás. Não são a minha onda, mas isso vem de eu querer algo melhor. Penso que sendo alto, com 2 m, eu estava a surfar com Fish maiores, á volta de 5’10, mas eu acredito que para uma Fish tradicional funcionar como são desenhadas ou como eu quero que funcionem, têm de ser pequenas, tipo 5’6 ou menos. Foi aí que a Quagg nasceu. Eu aprendi a surfar em Eggs Single Fin e passei para as Fish, mas sentia que os rails paralelos não eram tão fluidos. Então voltei ás Egg e o que seria mais uma single fin acabou por ficar quad pois andava a ler muito sobre isso. Então fiz uma 5’10 que era uma loucura. Todos os que surfaram com ela queriam uma. Nunca foi assim tão boa mas a ideia funcionava e eu sabia que apenas a podia melhorar.

- Desde que fizeste a tua primeira Mini-Simmons, o design tornou-se muito popular. De onde veio a ideia e acreditas que o design funciona mesmo ou é apenas uma moda?

A primeira Mini-Simmons foi a Casper, feita pelo Joe Baguess para o RK e eles vão ambos dizer-te que a ideia foi sua. Eu vi uma e fiz alguma pesquisa acerca do Bob Simmons e daí decidi fazer a minha visão da Simmons e acabei fazendo a segunda Mini-Simmons de sempre. A Casper foi toda pintada de branco por isso eu fiz a minha toda preta, o que fazia sentido, pois eu passei por tanta coisa ao faze-las no inicio porque aqueles tipos reclamavam que era ideia deles. Na realidade é um design do Simmons que foi ressuscitado. Então a minha era a ovelha negra das Mini-Simmons, algo que de certo modo me agradava! Agora tanta gente está a fazê-las e a surfar com elas, o que acho fantástico. È ainda melhor ver as variações que as pessoas têm feito! Eu penso que o design funciona muito bem, mas são um tipo de prancha ao qual tens de te comprometer para conseguires dela o que queres. Mas são mesmo a sério!

- Tu dizes acerca da New B que é “desenhada para a máxima performance sem ser uma shortboard”. Pensas que levaste os teus designs ao limite?

A New B é um design relativamente novo para mim, que tenho vindo a refinar ao longo do último ano, para a levar até aí em termos de performance. O design do deck e rails permite que surfes com uma prancha mais pequena e fina que a tua prancha alternativa normal mas mantendo a facilidade de remada. A pouca espessura e os rails progressivos mantêm a performance. Eu já fazia isso há algum tempo mas agora refinei a coisa. Eu sempre soube que funcionava mas agora percebo como e porquê e até onde posso levar o design sem perder nada.

- Não és apenas um grande shaper, mas também um excelente laminador conhecido pela qualidade e atenção aos detalhes. Ainda laminas muitas pranchas ou preferes concentrar-te no shape agora?

Agora eu estou mais concentrado no shape mas todas as minhas pranchas são laminadas debaixo do meu tecto. Eu criei uma pequena equipa que partilha a minha paixão pelos detalhes e que é incrivelmente talentosa. Mas eu ainda gosto de mexer na resina. Eu vou iniciar uma Solo Series na qual irei fazer tudo sozinho do princípio ao fim. Eu ainda faço 90% dos pigmentos coloridos nas minhas pranchas.

- Shape ou Surfar? O que vem primeiro? E com que pranchas surfas habitualmente?

Costumava ser surf mas nos últimos anos o shape tem-se tornado mais uma prioridade. Eu ainda verifico as ondas todos os dias mas escolho os meus dias melhor. Eu gosto mais dos dias maiores por isso tento fazer o meu trabalho quando o mar está pequeno para que quando as ondas estão boas eu possa ir. Esta época foi realmente pequena por isso tenho passado mais tempo a fazer mergulho ou caça submarina.

-Quais são as tuas expectativas acerca da Europa? Pensas que os surfistas europeus são muito diferentes dos americanos?

Eu espero que a Europa seja incrível. Penso que os surfistas Europeus têm um melhor entendimento do que eles querem e do que eles apreciam. Estou desejoso de fazer ter algumas pranchas aí e apaixonar as pessoas.

Algumas semanas depois desta entrevista, o Jeff esteve em França, na UWL, onde fez algumas pranchas e muito sucesso.

www.mccallumsurfboards.com

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