Sacred Craft - 2007 Consumer Surfboard Expo

From shortboards to fish, from eggs to funboards, from longboards to stand-up paddle boards, the chances were that the Sacred Craft Consumer Surfboard Expo featured your preferred board. And whether you wanted it from a local or a non-local shaper, there was a host of names to choose from. On top of that, the show profited from the rich assortment of companies representing the blank and the fin industries.

The surfboards came in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors. Placing a special emphasis on his retro models, Christensen had various fish on display, as well as egg models and quad-fins. And if these weren't enough of an attraction, he also unveiled a purplish, UFO-looking board, shaped kind of like a guitar, kind of like a shark's egg . . . kind of like something unidentified. Also presenting diverse models, but especially concerned with quad-fins, Rusty's large booth couldn't be missed. Not only was their vast array of boards an eye-catcher, their flat-screen TV and comfortable couch called out to those in search of a brief respite from the hustle and bustle of the expo.

While Al Merrick, Lost, and some of the other usual suspects were keen to share their impressive quivers of shortboards, there was a considerable number of booths tailored almost exclusively to the longboard and stand-up crowd. Robert August, hanging at his booth with his usual charm and charisma, presented various models-some adorned with exceptional artwork. Others catering to the longboard crowd were Guy Takayama, Josh Hall, Steve Mast, and Boardworks. Moreover, Boardworks showcased a large selection of stand-up boards, including various C4 models. Some other names targeting this crowd were Ron House, Angulo, and Hobie.

As should be apparent by now, the variety of shapers-at least in the eyes of the enthusiastic surfer-was nothing short of dazzling. Representing local shapers, the show had Christensen, Guy Takayama, Steve Mast, Josh Hall, Ron House, and more. Coming the extra mile and making the non-local contribution were Grain, C4, and others. Grain, a Maine based company, displayed their carefully crafted balsa models (e.g. 5'4" fish and 9'0" longboard) and the kits to assemble them. Their slogan: "Locally Grown. Hand-Built in Maine." Their aim: to heighten one's surfing experience while at the same time being environmentally responsible. Indeed, the balsa group was exceptionally well represented at the show; other names promoting balsa were Hess Surfboards, Jensen Surfboards, and the Balsa Tribe.

That said, the polyurethane contingent certainly did not miss the show. ICE9 marketed themselves on custom rockers and a polyurethane formula more environmentally sound than its predecessors. Foam E-Z not only offered polyurethane, but also EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) blanks, which have become quite popular, especially due to their lightweight.

It is notable that, despite of the considerable presence of boards, shapers, and blanks, fins were not lost in the crowd. Representing this industry were FCS, Future, LokBox, OFishl, and ProBox. Saturday morning a panel was formed to provide the public with "everything you've ever wanted to know about fins, featuring Mark Stavron/OFishl, Jimmy Robertson/LokBox, Tyler Callaway/FCS, Larry Allison/Pro Box, and Mike Caldwell/Future Fins."

Naturally, boards, shapers, blanks, and fins were the principal voices of this surfboard-oriented event. This, however, did not preclude the display of other surfboard related products. Destination displayed their boardbags and leashes; Patagonia their surfwear; an engineer his surfboard rack; veteran surfboard builders their foundation; and others with their various surfboard-related products. This surfeit of surfboard material was befitting to accomplish what Scott Bass, the event organizer, envisioned as the event's mission: "To put the surfboard-and the modern-day kahunas who craft them-back at the forefront of surf culture."