It’s been a while, but we’ve finally settled back into the shop, unpacked the crate and are back to the daily grind. Our west coast trip was an eye opening experience in many ways. 1800 miles, 16 days each of memorable sessions, live music, dozens of surf shops, hundreds of people on our boards, great mexican food, early mornings and beautiful sunsets, sharks, logs, rats, rocks, homeless people, dolphins, pelicans and more.

The last four days of the trip went as quickly as the rest. We were fortunate to be able to stay at a friends house right on the beach in DelMar. It was a nice change after two weeks in the soulless RV. The Sacred Craft Show was a huge success. Two days of non-stop traffic topping 4000 surfers. We were honored to be a part of this show. Alongside world reknowned shapers, wood was well represented by names like Jensen, Hess, Shark Bay and more. We’re looking forward to making this an annual pilgrimage for us.

We had one free day in So Cal after the show and we made the best of it. We dropped in on Sector 9 Skateboards and were treated to a grand tour of the factory, warehouse, showroom, bowl and gameroom. Inspirational to see an operation so well dialed. From there, we headed over to see Ned at Home Blown Foam, makers of BioFoam. BioFoam blanks are made up of about 50% agricultural products. We caught the whole gang loading up a truck with freshly blown foam. Since meeting Ned back at Surf Expo last winter, it’s been great too see Bio Foam really gaining the recognition it deserves.

After a couple weeks of settling back into our own shop, we feel luckier then ever to be doing what we do. We feel like we’ve gained a real perspective on the current state of the surf industry and our place in it. People are recognizing that the environment around us is growing increasingly fragile. With an open mind for new materials and construction techniques, variations in weight and its effects on performance, and a desire for a lower impact, longer lasting surfboard, we can collectively make a difference for the planet in the long run while still enjoying the things that keep us happy and healthy day to day.