Sunday, February 28, 2010

COOPERFISH March is on the horizon!

i snaked this off Gene's facebook site at the bottom of this blog. NICE!!!
3/1/10 - Goodbye to February and Chrystle (she'll be back in November). Hello to March and Tiffany Selby. Her yellow board(gc2079) goes up on Ebay on March 11th and It's a beauty

Saturday, February 27, 2010

grattitude .

i went by Mitch's North today. They have been so incredibly supportive over the years. . between them and Mollusk Surf Shop i feel lucky to know the people I do. It is amazing to come up with these far fetched ideas...and through the support of the right people....the ideas are accepted by many people...hence becoming not "far fetched"

paul's pignar!!

paul sent me these pics of his pignar via surfapig@live.com: i some how deleted the content of his email. I am stoked he sent these in. I have been wanting to post pics of this type of board on here for a while. Thomas Campbell and Michel Junod are friends of mine. I once saw this kid at malibu getting the CRAZIEST nose ride on the strangest part of the wave on one of these boards. i found his email! "Mike, Boy, do I love “Surf a Pig,” was pointed to it one day by our friend Gene Cooper. Doh! It hadn’t occurred to me until right now that the “Blackboard” that Gene is shaping for me might be named after you! Anyway, I thought you better see these right away. It’s a 9’8” Pignar Noserider shaped by Michel Junod with artwork by Thomas Campbell, director of “Sprout,” “Seedling,” and “The Present*.” http://www.surfboardsbymicheljunod.com/ http://www.thomascampbell-art.com/ I turn 54 on March 5th so, when I found this at Mollusk Surf Shop in San Francisco the other day, I bought myself “The Present*.”





NICE!! and thank you for the support!!

pig in a ute.

normally i abstain from posting pictures of the farm animal pigs on here...but this dog...and the story compelled me to. David Platt sent me this via surfapig@live.com: "Hi Mike. I was on my way home from a surfing trip up the coast on Tuesday. We were at a remote, out of the way spot three hrs north. Needles to say I was surfing my pig. Anyway here are a few shots of this pig I saw in the back of a ute on the highway heading South. Check out the dog wearing goggles.Regards, David"

(marc lleyellyn shot the above picture...i pulled it off a google search for "australia surf waves". i took the liberty of placing this photo in here with the other 3 photos David shot...add some intrigue...maybe that is how is was where Platty surfed!)



that dog is loving it!!!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

SLIDE MAGAZINE and other reviews of Jazz the Glass!!!!

Well, this pretty much nailed it!!!

A story of 17th century, crude, beer-guzzling privateers fiercely intent on riding and guarding their secret surf turf from “kooks” with the underground goal of “mining the stoke” of Earth for a futuristic pickup by aliens from Planet C, which is running out of stoke, Jazz the Glass brilliantly breathes raw comedy and anarchic life into a discarded B+W stiff, with flair,to be sure. [Editor’s Note: Yes, you read that correctly.] This bizarre story, based within a dubbed, 70-minute, public domain pirate film from 1945, is definitely not for young ears, so, parental units, be advised, and, of course, this movie is rated “Aaahhhrrrr!” On the surf side, Jon Steele produces an attractive collection of segments, from ’60s pigs, fish, and logs to shiny thrusters. Costa Rica to Indo plus, with talent like Herbie Fletcher, Joel Tudor, Chad Marshall, Matt Wesson, Jared Mell, Chris Ward, Alex Knost, Tommy Witt, Adam Lambert, Josh Kerr, Jen Smith, Kassia Meador, Clay Marzo, Nate Yeomans, Damien Hobgood, and even Mike Black, including some classy switch-stance performances to boot/ Jazz the Glass is then wrapped up with a score by New York’s American Astronaut, known for their “space western musicals.” Jazz the Glass is something you have never seen before. Ha. -RS



John B from Wilmington North Carolina called and let this message on David Potter's phone: I just wanted to call and tell you that it is the funniest movie of any genre of all time I have ever seen. I think I laughed so fricking hard I think i pulled a stomach muscle and I think i popped a blood vessel behind my right eye....I told a buddy of mine down in florida , he definitely wants to do a premier down there. also, i wanted to see if I could sell your DVD on my website destressedmullet.com...great showing my friend Paco is really sick, it was exactly what he needed, we gave him the copy, he is going to go home and watch it over and over again. i can't even tell you ...thanks man.


He went further to post this recap of the night on his website:


Thanks to Mike Black and David Potter, makes of Jazz the Glass. That is the funniest and more profane movie I’ve ever seen. Along with a few Fat Tires and a pizza, I was in heaven. I almost blew an o-ring.The premier kicked ass. Level 5 is one of the best venues around. Plug in the DVD, turn on the projector and press play. That’s how I like it. Few moving parts.

A number of people told me they needed a movie like that. Others left after the 40th F-bomb in the first 5 minutes. We TOLD THEM IT WAS AN ADULT-ISH MOVIE. They were forewarned.

I’ll post photos when I get home from SC. Paco laughed the cancer right out of his bones. I’m goign to try to sell these DVDs on the site, but if I can’t, I’ll let you know where to buy them. I might do both. I still can’t get over the sheer brilliance of this movie. Dang. I know Waterman Gulf Coast is thinking of doing a premier in Florida. It is a moral imperative that people adhere to this stoke doctrine.

below are some pictures from their showing:


Here is another description of the movie I just received:

Watched it last night very funny stuff. My wife and the general public seem to think I've gone crazy as I bust out in laughter in line at the grocery store and, at the gas pump thinking about some of the scenes. I give it 5 stars. Watching this movie prompted me to watch Invasion from Planet C again this morning, there is no surf here today and nothing better to do. Great job to those involved and, thanks for a very entertaining surf movie with an added bonus of some great surfing.

Yet another description of the movie I just received:

Todd Glaser had this to say about it: "Jazz the Glass was all time! Pirates, rum and surfing...I was in tears laughing the whole time! well done,...well done!!!


Sami Ewers of Wend magazine's blog reviewed us. Check it out HERE.

skunk magazine reviewed Jazz the Glass:

orangutang power!!




Gene Cooper on liquid salt!

Arundana and the west java pig!!

well... i don't know the best way to introduce this post. here is an email ( via surfapig@live.com) exchange between Arundana and I. He is from West Java The first email had the below plans attached as a pdf.

"hello Nice blog, always got me stoked. My name is Arundana. I'm from West Java, and a lousy surfer. I'm currently working on a surfboard as my final assignment. I'm an aeronautical engineering student and joined composites laboratory, and my assignment is to determine the most suitable surfboard manufacturing process in Indonesia ;given that its really difficult to obtain the materials (nearest blank is in Australia, LOL). Anyway, I'm planning on shaping a pig, and i can use some enlightenment on the design aspect. here's i attached my template and would you be kind enough to comment on that? i made this template mostly by digging deep your blog and the swaylocks. I've never ridden a Pig before and a Pig in Indo is a rare sight (well u can find some in the deep rain forest here =P) thanks."


i commented: "Arundana, The template you provided is aesthetically appealing to my eye. It is quite extreme. My prototype for the COOPERFISH BLACKBOARD that Gene Cooper and I are developing has some of the extreme curve that this template has. I feel that 22 - 22.5 is as wide as you should go. Especially on a 9'4". My Jim Phillips and my Lance Carson pigs are kind of wide. probably 23 or just over. However they are 10'. Both ride well. Traditionally pigs were 22. A 22 inch board is VERY maneuverable.It is not the most stable board to walk to the nose on, but it breaks out of its trim line and changes direction swiftly. One of the key elements to making sure a pig rides well is where the belly is. You want the belly to be most pronounced under the hips of the board. You want there to be a "roll" under the back 3rd of the board. decrease the belly as you go toward the nose. try to get the bottom pretty flat under the nose. Keep volume in the rails, but try not to make the rails feel like a can of soup. I feel the fin should be tuck on the tail. or 2 inches up at most. please send some pictures as this project develops. let me know if i can be of further assistance. mike"
he wrote back this and sent the link to the below pictures: "Hey mike, this is the latest development on the board im shaping. It was quite slow because of some exams and reports. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150760&id=636296654&l=05cb1c483b It ended up with some nose concave, as suggested by my local shaper, and the deck would be covered with balsa. Glassing will be done after i test some specimen to check the flexure of balsa deck configuration. What a pain in the ass shaping this with cheese grater, the dimension came out a little bit off."







i wrote back: "Arundana, Thanks for the follow through! You are an inspiration. It is awesome to see you making it happen. Keep me updated! Perhaps this will be the best board you have ever put your feet on! Mike"

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Jazz the Glass is available!!

David Potter, my partner in STOKE FILMS,LLc just emailed me to tell me the Jazz the Glass DVD's have arrived. Those of you that pre-ordered...THANK YOU!!! yours will be shipped VERY SOON. if you are a surf shop and would like to order 5 or more copies please contact dmpotter@stokefilms.com.
Other wise if you would like to order a copy of
Jazz the Glass you can click here or use the link on the
right side of this blog. CHEERS BREW!
blast it!!!

steve of empire surfboards has this model!

steve from empire surfboards sent me this via surfapig@live.com . i get stoked every time some one sends in boards to this site. its awesome to see what is going on out there. at times i feel like there is a "strict" definition of a pig...but that is arbitrary. like my buddy T-muck luck suggested...this isn't some scientific study. by far the most defining feature of a "pig" is the wide point aft. then you get into things like narrow nose, bellied bottom, low rocker, full rail, D fin ...and what not... each person approaches surfing differently. some people might think the board i ride is strange. so tweek the design! that is where its at. do YOUR thing. keep them coming! this board and the setting look great! kinda looks like a place in santa barbara. i knew a surfer with the same name as this boards owner out of los gatos and most recently Santa Barbara. makes one wander. here is what steve had to say: "hi Mike, love the Blog. i've been following it for a while now and there are always plenty of board and surf shots to inspire. i thought that this might be in your field of interest. i've been working on this model for a few years now, i call it the Mode. built this one for Alexa, a team rider. think that it just about fore-fills your pig criteria, apart from the D-fin. all the best, Steve"


NICE!!!

jon steele shot these pictures

when we were filming some of the surfing for Jazz the Glass. this trip was crazy on so many levels. jon's photography is amazing. i am so lucky to have grown up with him as a close friend.
i think that is "j rad" stuffed into a sweet one.
wesson. i don't even know what to say.
this is a shot of me trying to convince benny and his chick ...to convince me... that the gash in my chin wasn't that bad.
that gash in my chin made me sit out 4 of the SICKEST days of surf of the trip. i straight lost my mind by day 3. it was amazing. i snuck the below one in before i blasted my chin.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

...sacred craft weekend...

April 10. we have some stuff planned. if you are interested in the design of surfboards, if you are intrigued by the COOPERFISH BLACKBOARD, if you think Slide Magazine is a worthy periodical and if you are interested in seeing Jazz the Glass...you might want to be around Ventura on April 10 2010. more details to follow. we are taking pre orders for Jazz the Glass right now. I posted some links for purchasing Jazz the Glass T-shirts (if you are so inclined) on the side bar to the right.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

February board closes!

the surfing heritage foundation rules. i had the pleasure of chilling out there this evening with Gene , Jim Phillips, Chris from icons, jason of "used board sales" and Erin Ashley ...among other rad people. I shot a video of all the rad doo dads, nick nacks, and surf culture items available at the gallery. Gene's board closed at $2,050. Gene had the latest issue of SLIDE. Ryan Smith wrote a review of Jazz the Glass in this new article. He nailed it!!!




the below picture was snaked from gene's blog

Austin and the pig!

austin sent me these on lb.net. this guy rules. i put one of his pigs up as my 3rd or 4th post ever on surfapig. here is what he said:
"hey gnar,I just finished our newest pig model for a buddy of mine and wanted to send you some pics for the blog. the dims are 9'6x 22 1/2 x 2 7/8. I shaped it on the blank bacwards to add some tail kick and flatten the nose rocker out. 8/6 deck 8/4 bottom. Check it out"



NICE!!!