My life has been punctuated by obsession. Among the long list: skateboarding, baseball, playing and recording music, poetry, surfing, art & design, and board building.
If you’ve spent any amount of time with me recently, I’d be surprised if you were unaware of the new and totally unexpected one: pool. Given my very aquatic lifestyle, you’d be forgiven for assuming I meant swimming in a pool, however, I’m referring to the fascinating pastime of billiards; straight, 8, 9 and 10 ball American pool.
I’ve even surprised myself by my mind’s intrigue towards a sheltered, calculated and rather austere game so seemingly disparate from the world of exploratory poetry, art and surf. The slow but very evident exposure of undeniable parallels between what might appear to be contradictory environments was somewhat expected; in any craft or skill, the stage is set for the artist to flourish.
I’m currently reading a book on the subject, I rummage through the YouTube archives for video footage of legendary characters who played upon this felt-adorned alter, and spend countless nights wandering into pool bars and halls all over the city to steep in the culture there, gather some new ideas for how to get out of tough spots, and practice a steady stroke under pressure.
Although I am confident in my specific skills as a craftsman, I am not dreaming of building my own cue (yet). What impresses me is the process and the fanatic culture surrounding it; much like that surrounding shaping and board building.
With the rate of advancement in new technologies and materials and innovative construction techniques, we observe an accelerated infatuation with hi-tech gear, and activities in which the finest and most sought after equipment is still handmade by master craftsmen and women fades. What professional tennis player uses a handmade wooden racket? What golfer? Skier? Archer? Most of the professional sports world is carbon fiber wrapped and marketed to instill doubt as to one’s sincere aspiration for championships if they aren’t considering a purchase of this year’s new, infused, lighter-weight model.
I recently became aware of a custom cue-maker who has a 13 year waitlist(!) and whose cues sell for close to $10k. They are timeless, handmade wooden cues. The current women’s 9 and 10 ball world champion uses one of their cues.
And therein lies, to me, one of the cleanest comparisons between surf and pool. Although many people are now using carbon fiber, machine cut boards, and carbon fiber, mass produced cues, some of the greats in each arena continue to value the ineffable meaning and heart that informs a masterfully made object.
I’m sure some people ask the same questions of this craftsman’s work, as they do my own: why would anyone pay that much or wait that long, and what’s so special about those cues?
I’m reimagining the objects I build, as I’ve now seen a new angle on them through this lens. What I want more than anything is to build art, whether that be functional or purely aesthetic, of heirloom quality.
I’ve never been someone who could afford nice things, though I’ve appreciated them in my youth from the very distant land of poverty. I recently drove to New Jersey and met up with a man to purchase a vintage cue with vine and rose inlays on the cue, along with an ivory Irish linen wrap. The cue needed some love, so I found one of the best cue restoration company’s in the country and sent it out to them. The care and detail work that went into this piece powerfully informed my appreciation of my own work and it’s life on this planet, as it will be passed from one admirer to another.
You are looking at the new prototype: the PS Double Diamond series. Any board with these two diamonds near the tail will be an indicator of my unique glassing process to build them.
Each diamond intersects one of two cut laps, which means twice the amount of glass as a standard, modern surfboard, and twice the amount of care and work to laminate it. Years of daydreaming and consideration have gone into the concept, to ensure maximum functionality dovetails both longevity and aesthetic.
I’ve been surfing a ‘67 Hobie for the last 10 years, and it still surfs as beautifully today as it did the day I picked it up. It’s taken a few beatings along the way, but it is still perfectly watertight, and more solid than any modern board you’ll find around. It also happens to be nearly 40 lbs… which scares most people off from giving it a try.
I encourage them, nevertheless. The weight of that board has taught me indelible lessons about glide, momentum and speed; things that can’t be imitated or ignored, once one has experienced the sensation. I’ve found, what I believe to be, the perfect middle ground; this one weighs in at 28 lbs, which is ~8 lbs more than a standard board I’d build at this size. Once you’ve the feeling, I’m confident you’ll never want to go back to lightly-glassed longboards.
Clean, classic, minimal, and designed to outlast my time on this planet. No more pressure dents on your first paddle out, and no more guessing about how well a board was glassed. Surprising paddle speed and unmatched noseriding capability.
If you’re curious to learn more or order a PS Double Diamond series longboard, dm or email me.
