The lack of local shapers in the Northeast pretty much guarantees that you'll have to buy stock boards off the rack at some point. But I've figured out some options that work for me. I do still order custom hand-shaped boards from local shapers, but when it comes to buying a stock board there's only a few places worth going. Believe it or not, my go-to board shop at the moment isn't even in the Northeast. It's the Real Board Loft at REAL Watersports in Outer Banks, NC. With a

It looks like summer is starting to shape up. I recently purchased airline tickets and a new surfboard. I will be pairing the two for a vacation at my usual spot in Guanacaste, Costa Rica in late July. I'm ready to enjoy the energy coming out of the southern hemisphere and get into some punchier surf. I know my trip is still a few weeks away, but prospects look good. I think the timing of one swell from the next is all I'll really need to worry about. In between now and then,

I've got a 9'2 single fin, pin tail. It's a nice combination of high performance and traditional. I ride it in most conditions from knee to double overhead. If I was stranded on an island and could only bring one board to surf forever, this one is it. I've caught more waves on this stick than any board I've ever owned... by a long measure. I've been riding it for more than a decade now. This board is a reflection of who I am as a person. My quiver ranges from a half dozen to