Surf City

I gotta tell ya, the ol' yella surfboard we've been hauling around is showing its age. It needs to be replaced. I have always wanted a nice wooden surfboard like they had 40 years ago, but the new ones cost in multiple thousands, and even used ones cost a fortune due to the ship cost of "oversized" material. And I am not enthusiastic about spending $400 for another foam board. So...

I have decided to take on the insurmountable task of building a wooden surfboard. With only one minor obstacle, I should be able to put together a pretty nice board. (That "obstacle" is that I have no idea whatever as to how to build a wood surfboard).

From what I can gather, it takes hundreds of hours to build a surfboard, and no small amount of skill. I have the time. The skill I will have to fake. I can do that.

If you see us show up with a nice wooden board, you will know I succeeded. If we still have the yella board at the end of this show season, you can assume I blew it!

Yeah, I know - it looks simple. Just a board, right? Wrong! There is an internal skeleton of spine and ribs, each a different thickness and length, to provide the bow and taper, as well as the keel. Then ya gotta cut thin hardwood strips, glue 'em up, then adhere them to the skeleton, bending them as you go along. And then you need to laminate and bend the side rails. And then there's the fin(s). Total cost - less than that of a foam board (I hope)

Piece of cake.

But if I succeed, we will certainly miss "Ol' Yella".