BEACH DAZE
Words by: Grey Lockwood
It goes without saying that everyone needs a break from reality sometimes. Luckily, for all of us here at Bing Surfboards that break comes in the form of mandatory surf days a few times a year. We spend our lives making or selling surfboards, so getting the chance to surf together is special on so many levels. Recently we had the chance to get the gang together and here’s how it went.
With the Bing van packed to the ceiling holding as much foam and fiberglass as possible we wait patiently in the dark watching the clock get closer and closer to 6am when the gates open to Southern California’s mecca of longboarding, the unforgettable San Onofre. Without fail we’re always there at first light to grab a nice little spot on the 50 yard line between “The Point” and “Four Doors” giving both the goofy’s and regularfoots a chance at some amazing rides.
As the sun comes over the hill most of the crew has already hit the water for what could possibly be the first of four sessions that day. The retail team, the factory squad, Bing team riders, and head shaper Matt Calvani all get a chance to ride waves together. While boards are getting passed around in the lineup it gives us a chance to not only talk about board design and function, but get to know each other a bit better outside the confines of the work environment.
The morning sesh turns into some beach hangs with not only our own work family, but quite a few of the usual suspects at San O like surfing savant J.J. Wessels and world-famous artist Brian Bent. Some of us stay in the water all day while others are perfectly fine just admiring the beauty of the California coastline with a beverage in hand and feet in the sand.
While everyone including Mick Rodgers and Mele Saili were showing off some amazing talent, this time around it was the boss Matt Calvani on his new Levitator Type II taking the win for endless noserides in the shifty chest high waves at “Four Doors”. It’s safe to say that over 500 waves are ridden at any of these events and it’s days like this that get us through the long grueling hours, days, and months in between.
The honest truth about building surfboards for a living is that you’ll never make a million bucks, but the chance to spend your days with people who love and appreciate a sport we hold so dear makes it all worth it. For just a small moment of our year, between all the phone calls, emails, and foam dust we are actually getting paid to surf…. how cool is that?
Also in Bing Surfboards Blog
PURE STOKE
An Interview with Christian Marcher of Progressive Surf Academy
You’d be hard pressed to find someone more stoked on surfing than our friend and local ripper Christian Marcher. Big boards, small boards, soft tops, surf mats, hand planes, you name it and this guy rides them all at a very elite level. The best part about Christian is that he is always the nicest guy in the water and he pushes the boundaries of what you think is possible on a surfboard every time he paddles out.
With over 30 years of surfing experience, Christian has built Progressive Surf Academy into one of the most well-respected surf schools anywhere on the West Coast. He and his team use a very unique approach that dives deep into ocean safety, technique, and ethics in the lineup that you don’t see anywhere else. Christian delivers a premium surf experience for all ages and has been a part of the Bing family for a few years, so we sat down to chat and learn a bit more about the man and his love for the ocean.
THE PHYSICS OF NOSRIDING
AN INTERVIEW WITH PHOTOGRAPHER, VIDEOGRAPHER AND LIFE ENTHUSIAST, TOM TERRELL
- I started out shooting film photography in high school, and carried around a variety of 35mm cameras for a lot of years while touring as a musician. I despised digital cameras when they arrived, but eventually I met a fellow in Scotland who sold me a water housing and a Canon 60d and I discovered how much fun, and fruitful, swimming and shooting with a digital camera could be. About 2016 I started playing around with short surf films and realized really quick that I loved the medium. At the time I was a musician by trade so being able to combine rhythm, color, imagery and composition was a dream.