Tim Stafford Surfboards

Mostly bonzer inspired creations, made in Cornwall. Designed, shaped, glassed, sanded, finned and finished by Tim Stafford.

I make boards that are easy to ride, that feel natural under foot. Most aren't conventional but they will help you reach that point where you stop thinking about what's under your feet and start to focus on where you want to go and how you want to get there. Why bonzers?

Always happy to chat about your needs and what would work for you but please initiate contact by email or Facebook... details on www.timstaffordsurfboards.com | Ride and glide.

Thursday 28 April 2011

Freeride at the Old Smithy…

imageLast night saw the screening of the rare and influential surf movie, Freeride, at The Old Smithy in Welcombe.

I did a little intro before the screening and for those who didn’t make it, I hope this gives a personal insight into a movie that spawned The Freeride Generation and changed the course of many peoples lives.

“It was the summer of 1978, I was 12, queuing with my brother Hugh and around 100 long haired pot smoking scruffs outside the Atlantic Hotel in New Polzeath... I was stood there next to my brother and the local lifeguard, Gavin Bassett who had been persuading my mother i was safe to surf had said i had to come along... so there I was, stood in line with a hoard of rowdy hooting surfers... I was already sold.

There was a sense of belonging at that event that changed my life; it’s why I’m here... kind of why we are all here.

The movie was the efforts of by Bill Delaney and water-cameraman Dan Merkel. Their slow motion water shots and on board cameras set new standards in sports photography that wouldn’t really be exceeded until much later with the likes of Riding Giants.

Sadly this movie is now rarely seen, issues over rights have confined it to all but a few collectors fortunate enough to own one of the rare original 16mm films that were played in the cinemas and halls around the world in the late 70s. This copy comes from someone that has one of these. You didn’t see this movie here tonight, and you may never see this movie again.

imageIt's primarily a chronicle of Pipeline/Off the Wall during the Hawaiian winter of 1975 -'76, with some Australian and Indonesian segments thrown in for good measure. Its stars are Mark Richards, Wayne Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson, who were banging down the door of the Hawaiian old guard. This movie was, perhaps unfairly, most remembered for Shaun Tomson’s tube riding, which whilst incredible even by today’s standards overshadowed the performances of the more stylish and aggressive attacks of Rabbit and the most stylish and radical surfer of the era, Mark Richards who went on to win 6 World Championships.

For me the most incredible thing is that they are riding these awe inspiring North Shore waves on boards a bit like the one Richie has slung up over the bar round the corner, single fins with down rails, low rockers and thick beak noses. The boards seem to skip over every piece of chop, and chatter as they are nursed off the bottom and under the lip... with the exception of Mark Richards who somehow manages to look relaxed whatever the size, even at Waimea.

imageLater in 1994, I had the pleasure of meeting Shaun Thompson in the lineup at Jeffrey’s Bay. He dropped in on me, faded his bottom turn sticking me deep into the pit with nowhere to go. That was a hero busted for me. I later discovered he had given lectures all over the world on his “surfers code”, handing out cards with the code on one side and his clothing brand, Insight, on the other. Interestingly the code DIDN’T include “tho shalt not drop in”, but then he is a Saffa (joke).

I also got to see Rabbit surf at his home break in Oz when I was 18. (Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew got the nickname “rabbit” because as a kid he was this incredibly quick young footballer missing his 2 front teeth!) He was 12 years as a pro surfer on the tour, and with 1 world championship, but I’ll always remember him for his hands-behind-his-back barrels at Burleigh Heads... and he didn’t drop in on me!

I never did get to meet or surf with Mark Richards despite trips to Newcastle. He was known as “the Wounded Gul” for his low centre of gravity, knock-knees, arms outstretched style that seemed to be able to absorb the largest of chops without fluster and enabled him to surf the largest of waves with the most relaxed yet radical style. I can’t see him dropping in either though.

Anyways enjoy the movie... You didn’t see this movie here tonight, and you may never see this movie again...”

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Riddler REVO5 Mentawais Bonzer

P1130121 P1130120

6’2” x 20 1/4” x 2 7/8”

This board went beautifully at several breaks, Nipussies, Macaronis being the stand-out sessions. Just as fun back-hand as forehand. A definite performance oriented bonzer with a unique fin set up that defies the norms but relates to all the hydrodynamic theories. It’s the sort of board that will really surprise you… very at home getting into the pocket (and staying there) but equally loose off the bottom and top… best way to sum this board up is that it felt very free.

Tuesday 26 April 2011

More Freak – 6 fin bonzer

P1130109 P1130112 P1130110 P1130111 

This is some better pics of the 6’5” Mentawais FreakFish, right before it went off to its new home, Palm Beach Florida…

Saturday 23 April 2011

East Coast creds

Check this East Coast thread… creds to Daz and Stevie for the sanding and polishing. Fins by yours truly of course.

http://www.2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=3&threadid=122443&enterthread=y

Roachy’s Riddler – 6’7” EVO5/6 bonzer

6’7” X 20 3/4” X 2 7/8” this Riddler comes a little different to the norm being less barrel oriented, so less V, harder rails for more drive, a little less tail rocker and a thicker foil. Designed for Peter for easy wave catching without the normal nightmare of duck-diving a wide nose egg at somewhere like Polzeath. Set up with EVO 5 fin bonzer and EVO 6 fin bonzer options. A pair of custom wood CRV rears to be sent as soon as my blasted pinkie heals (yes it’s still a mess and not surfing or power tools for a while longer – sorry Pete!).

5 fin bonzer with Kai Sallas 7" rear 5 fin bonzer with True Ames 7" rear by Tim Stafford Surfboards 6 fin bonzer with FCS G5 rears P1050671 P1050629

Hope to have a review from Roachy in the near future.

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Tuesday 19 April 2011

Another birthday bonzer

By the time she is 18 my daughter will have a rack of boards… each one telling the story of each year of her life. Here is her second board. 5’10” EVO5 Hornet with FCS bonzer sides, and a cream and orange resin tint with ink artwork featuring some of her favourite characters of the last year: The Gruffalo, Zog, The Room on the Broom and Tyranosaurus Drip to name but a few. She was typically stoked and immediately started practicing her pop-up on it!

P1050662 P1050667 P1050655 

PS Thanks to Daz for rescuing things in the sanding/glossing. I glassed this one and messed up the deck rails a bit when i sanded the laps. That will teach me to rush things!

Wednesday 13 April 2011

Atlantic POD review

Just got an email from Nigel on his Isle of Wight 6'4" Atlantic POD...

"Hi Tim - in short i totally dig the pod. I rigged it up with a 6.5 True Ames bonzer fin for the sessions in Woolacombe when it got big...plenty big enough for me...on take off it took me straight up on a high line and kinda kept me there, giving me the option of dropping down to the trough  (if i had the balls). I've yet to surf it in smaller stuff, but its time will come. She's surely a keeper/long term board. Possibly a bit heavier than I'm used to, but i did ask for it to be unbreakable :0)
Peace, Nige
PS I would recomend one to anyone who can paddle a board!"


Thanks Nige...

Monday 11 April 2011

Roachy’s EVO6 bonzer rears

Well just before the docs said no power tools for 2 weeks whilst my tendons, blood vessels and ligaments repair… I had foiled Roachy’s rear FCS fit EVO6 bonzer set cores… and was just about to glass them when Frosties delivered its dawn blow. Here’s the story so far… wood cores in American Ash ready for glassing. They will have a 1/2” halo after re-foiling with a lacquer finish. 

P1050621

P1050617

I’ll be making more sets of these for anyone who is interested in a light, wood core (positive buoyancy), dual foil fin of this unique planshape. FCS fit or Lockbox, you choose. £80 a set.

Friday 8 April 2011

Frosties claims a pinkie

Dawny at Frosties this morning saw head high clean lefts on the reef. On the way out i got washed into a gully and dislocated my little pinkie - I didn't know at the time (except it hurt a lot) but that's what it turned out to be. However it was  fun surf followed swiftly by a drive to Bodmin minor injuries ...
First Aid provided by Jon from Big Blue in the way off gaffatape/ wax wrapper splint (left of scissors)... 1st Aid followed the drop in... cheers Jon!.
Yanking and pain giving by the visiting Trelisk consultant Toby (he took several attempts to get the bone back in, cheers Toby!)
Before and after...

Tuesday 5 April 2011

FreakFish FCS EVO6 bonzer review

The Mentawais FreakFish was set up with FCS bonzer fronts and a set of FreakFish FCS fit rears… and i am pleased to say the board flew and the FCS system handled all the torque with no problems at all. The board was incredibly fast down the line allowing sections to be made with ease, whilst still allowing for sudden changes of direction with full power being transferred through the rail. They say the proof is in the eating and the FreakFish certainly proved itself being ridden more than any other board. The conditions were small so sections were more frequent and the FreakFish allowed these to be made with ease. A really flexible design that has become the board i ride more than any other, whether it is beach breaks in the UK or reefs and points from Mexico to Indo.

Malcolm Campbell European “vacation”

To all those looking for one of Malcolm’s originals he will be back at the Ocean Magic factory in June. Contact Guy Penwarden via the House of Bonzer to place an order. Hopefully we will actually manage to brush the dust of him long enough for a beer this time Smile

P1040512

Friday 1 April 2011

Mentawais quickie

Great trip, fun waves, boards went really well :). From the top down...
6'5 FreakFish EVO6
6'8 Cleanline parabolic Glass Tiger collaboration EVO5
6'2 Riddler REVO5
6'4 Cleanline EVO5
More later...