Canada's 21 Handplane Salute

It seems kinda wild that my largest order to date is going to Canada.  Really though, when you think about it, why not?  Most Canadians I have met love the Ocean.  Not only that, they seem to love to travel.  Don't think I have ever been on a trip abroad and not met a Canadian on the road.  What better to travel with than a Handplane.  Mtn. Co-op was probably thinking something similar when they placed this 21 handplane order.  They are much like REI in the US.  They have 20+ stores and a large internet site.  I believe this order of handplanes is going to be split between their coastal stores and internet site.  15 Brownfish and 6 El Gigantes.  I will be shipping them up to Canada on Monday and they should be available for purchase in store or on-line within the next month.  I have one more order of 5 handplanes to follow this, then Rebecca and I will be taking a long deserved break from Handplanes until May 1st.  

I Know I Know

I was supposed to show off the new model today, but, I got to thinking.  A guy up in Newport asked me last week what the size of the Pinliner was.  He wanted me to take some pictures with something that will give an idea of size.  Last weekend I was at the beach, and for the life of me couldn't think of something.  As you've already guessed, I'm not too bright.  Wasted quite a bit of time searching through the car and the abundance of crap that we bring to the beach for ourselves and three rugrats.  Eventually my phone rang.  VOILA.  So, here are those pics you wanted.

I Really Wanted

to keep this one. I don't have a personal Barrel Rider Model. Which, admittedly I should. When this one came off the line and ready for Sacred Craft, I told myself I was keeping it after the show. Well, things didn't quite work out. A friend of a friend wanted one, kinda rush like, and, well, you know.   I almost discontinued the Barrel Rider. Out of all 4 models, it sells the least. I was going to replace it with another model (check back tomarrow and see). Funny thing is, not many choose it as thier first handplane, which is understandeable, but, many order a Barrel Rider as thier second or third handplane. Funny pattern I've noticed. It seems to be the model of choice for the experienced surfer, who started off handplaning with a Brownfish, and improved and wanted something a little more agressive. They seem to go the Pinliner, then end up in the middle with the Barrel Rider. They end up swearing by this model.  The people who tend to like the Pinliner are the ones that have been bodysurfing a lot in thier lives and like just a little extra planing surface. So, I guess one day I might have my own Barrel Rider, but, til then, hopefully this one will have some great experiences.

Come Hell or High Water

Patagonia asked me to make the Malloys a couple of handplanes for this video.  I would be truly honored if they actually make it into the final cut.

Come Hell or High Water Trailer from Woodshed Films on Vimeo.

Short and Fat

Kinda like me.  This is a prototype that I hashed out last week.  It's 11" long, but still carries the same width of the Brownfish Model at 7.75".  It is made for hollower waves and I am really intrested to see how the bottom contours work out.

This is by far

the best first handplane shape I have ever seen.  Actually, I would be pretty proud if I did it myself.  Lesider in New York pulled this first shape off after studying the internets for quite some time.  So far, he's got it right on.  Even down to using Paulownia.  Nice work Lee.

We are a No-Show for Sacred Craft

Sorry to all of you who have e-mailed me asking if Brownfish Handplanes would be attending Sacred Craft Santa Cruz this year.  We will not be attending.  Some last minute things have come up that will not allow us to go.  For all that are going, have a great time.  For those of you on the fence, GO!  It is truly a great event and you won't regret it.        G

aloha from holland and may good waves come your way!

It is not very often that you get e-mails that end with such stoke. More often, I seem to be finding myself complaining about how poor the waves have been over the last year, and some guy in Holland is stoked out of his mind to surf waves that I don't even go down to the beach to check. YUP, I pretty much suck. EEF has been following this blog pretty much since day one. He takes old scraps of wood and makes all kinds of Handplanes and whatnot with it. Paints em up all nice and purty, then rides em. And you know what, he is STOKED. Thanks EEF for reminding us that life is too short to pass up a day of surfing, no matter what conditions. You can follow EEF at: http://monsterboardsorg.blogspot.com/

How Do You Keep Your

Body in a position to hold a wave:

Off To Indo

If you've read the most recent issue of Surfer Magazine, you should have read thru Jason Kenworthy's 10 year account of boat trips to the Mentawai's, "10 Years Before the Mast." Jason is getting ready to go on his first boat trip of the season next week. This one's going to be a touch different though. I can't get into the specifics, mainly because I really don't know em, but, he asked if I could make some handplanes for the trip. I showed up yesterday to drop the handplanes off at Jason's house, and Dino and Kolohe Andino are standing out front waiting for him also. Jason pulled up and introduced us. Kolohe and I got to talking for a bit while Dino and Jason went into the office. Kolohe has had a handplane for a few months and seems to be super stoked with it. He starts asking me questions about how to get more speed in the barrel and whatnot. I'm sitting their thinking to myself, "Damn kid, you are one of the top 16 year old surfers in the world, presently being groomed for the tour, and possibly a world title one day. I've watched contests at J-Bay with you sitting next to Slater when you were 12, and acting like it was just another day. And you are asking me how to get more speed in the Barrel with a handplane?" Well, I'm sure he will probably figure it out way before me. He's a good kid, good head on his shoulders, and I'm thinking he's is going to be able to handle the pressures of the tour. I'm sure we'll see a lot more great things from him in the future. As for a World Title someday, well, I wish him the best. He was very humble and didn't come off like an ass. I liked him. So back to the handplanes. Here are some pics of 5 of the 8 that Jason will be taking to the Mentawai's next week. I'm excited to hear how each one performs and what the differences are. You can't ask for a better, more mechanical place, to test out the nuances of the different designs. I JUST WISH I WAS GOING!

As always, you can check out more of Jasons work at:  http://www.jrkenworthy.com/

I'm a Little Sorry

Well, not really. I got a mini lecture the other day at the beach by one of my friends. Lets just call him Brian, even though thats not really his name. No REALLY. He commented that I've been spamming this blog with too many of my handplanes and not keeping it neutral enough. He was right. That is the goal of this blog. To post daily. Keep it somewhat neutral. Show as many different kinds of handplanes as possible, and as many photos of people handplaning as possible. Problem is, and I hate to say it, it's kinda the slow season. People are waiting for the water to warm up a bit until they start swimming around. That directly relates to the amount of footage that gets forwarded to me. So, if you've got some decent shots of handplanes that you've made or purchased, some good action photos, or some scenic ones, get em to me and I'll post em up. Until then, here is a pic of some of the boards I just finished coloring for Sacred Craft Santa Cruz, weekend after next. If you are able to go, please stop by our booth and have a chat.

Just Wittling

Sacred Craft Santa Cruz is weekend after next. I got into the hobbit hut the other day and decided to bring a few different handplanes. The 4 models are good, well tested, and work. I always think about different things. This is one of the handplanes that I came up with.

The Daily Stoke Review

Last summer when things went flat I was bit by the bodysurfing bug.  It was a good way to beat the heat, stay in shape, and have a blast.  Late into the summer I started seeing more and more handplanes popping up in magazines, movies, and websites.  Although I was skeptical, they promised to add more control and maneuverability to your bodysurfing...  
Read More Here:
The Daily Stoke Review

Kenworthy - A Room with a View

“All these little tube shots started when a group of my buddies got Brownfish Handplanes and started bodysurfing,” says Jason Kenworthy. “We were getting all these visions and the photographer in me couldn’t hold back. This foamy barrel was shot in the early morning in Orange County.” Photos: Kenworthy/SPL

see more at:   A Room with a View

Double Dipping

I love it when I get e-mails from people who have had a handplane passed on to them. Usually means that the original owner ordered a new one. I never would have thought when I got into this, that people would be needing multiple handplanes. Or would start with one model, improve, and need a more high performance deal. I thought it would be one person, one handplane, then done. Now, I've got people with 3 or 4, and use em all pending the conditions. Who woulda thunk you would need a quiver? Here is the message from Dan, he is using his old school El Gigante in Florida and it is a good fit. I'm thinking by Hurricane Season, Dan just might be needing something a little more speedy.

i picked up this beauty of yours from a fellow swaylocks.com bro..
and love it..he told it was the el gigante' model ...
well it's perfect for me and here...
i used to body surf alot in santa cruz/hawaii..
along with mini sims, fish,hulls , bonzers, nuggets, logs, etc
before we moved here(be near the grandparents for our girls)
but have never used a handplane before..
this just amplifies the experience so much..to be so
"in the wave"...awesome...
many thank from my end,

regards,
dan

THANKS, DAN