Surfboard Stories Volume 3 • Wakefield RI Photographer

I had to be in this project at some point...my board was the whole reason that I came up with this concept.  I love my surfing board.  See my surfboard and me and my story below.  Big shout out to my always enthusiastic assistant and helper Carlos for taking my photos for this segment even though he couldn't see what the heck was going on in the viewfinder.

Board:  Weber, circa 1967.  Dress:  vintage, circa sometime in the 60's.  Vans:  Circa last month.  Hair:  looking not nearly as fly as the salt water makes it.

What's your name?  Why do you want to know?  Just kidding, it's Amy.

Do you have a superhero name or any superpowers I should know about?  My superhero name is Magnet Girl and I save the world with my magnetic powers.  This is all a very long story but if you care to know I will share.

What board did you bring with you today?  9'6" Weber Performer circa 1967.  AKA Big Weber and sometimes Banana Baby.

Why did you bring this board?  Because this board is my baby.  I have other boards (I even have two other Weber Performers) but there will never be another board like this.  It's like riding a kitchen table or something.  It catches waves so easily...it will catch a little teeny ripple and I ride it all the time in the summer because of that, but it is also good in bigger surf.  I got it because Carlos had a 9'8" Performer that I tried one day and I thought it was the most magical thing in the world and I was determined to find my own.  I have taught people to surf on this board, it's had its nose cracked open so many times, and I love it so much.  Is it possible to love a surfboard too much?  It weighs a little over 30 pounds currently as it's mostly dry but gets heavier when it takes on water.  I don't know what I will do when I can't ride this board anymore.

Where did you get it?  Ebay, from a guy in Hingham, MA in November 2005.  It didn't have the original Wonderbolt hatchet fin but had this teeny 7" fin glassed in.  Carlos kept telling me he would take it out and I was too stubborn.  One day I was riding the Lighthouse when it was tiny and low tide and I hit a rock inside and cracked up the little fin.  Carlos took it out and put in a fin box and a Cat fin...yeah, he was right.

Do you remember the first wave you ever caught on this board?   No, I honestly don't, but if I had to guess I would say that I'm pretty sure it was at Pilgrim Ave.

Do you remember your favorite wave ever (or favorite day ever) on this board?  Every time I ride this board is pretty magical but last Thursday night I rode it on glassy waves with only a few people out (including, I think, Harry Potter) and the sun set and turned everyone gold and I had soooo many nice long lefts so I'm going with that.  There were many 10-point rides as Carlos would say.

Do you have a favorite place to ride it?  Of course.  The Flagpole.  If you know me, you know that is my favorite spot and I live for waves there (even though it "doesn't break".)

Any final words?  I would like to thank my favorite board caddy of 12 years for always carrying this behemoth up the rocks for me without me ever having to ask.  

Until the next episode...