Welcome!!!!

Welcome to the Harbour Owner's Society Blog.

This is an introductory post, please scroll down to November posts to see examples of what you might find in the coming months with our monthly blog updates.

Please note the,"Side-Bar" for links, membership rules, past posts, and other information. For this introductory post, we'll recap some of the sidebar information here.

After the great time we all had at the Harbour, 2006 surf day (see post below for pictures), a few Harbour Owners began to ponder the existence of a Harbour Owner's Society. Some of us have the stickers and some may still wear the shirts of the once casual but existing society. Todd (Boardhound), Bobby J., John, and a few others thought it would be a great idea to start it again. Bert said he didn't have a problem with it, and away we went.

How do you become a member.
1. Own a Harbour Surfboard.
2. Let Bert or Boardhound know. Boardhound's email address is, todd1218@verizon.net
Just send him your info, letting him know you want to join.

Why we exist.

1. To offer Harbour owners a chance to meet like minded people.

2. To share surf, stories and the stoke

3. To offer a non-competitive environment for surfers of all levels

4. To set a positive example as Surfers in and out of the water.

This is a Society of surfers for surfers.

It is an optional club, with no obligation of Harbour owners to join, but anyone who owns a Harbour Surfboard is invited to join. It is a voluntary club, with non-competitive events.

Participation in any and all events is optional. Purchasing Harbour Society Gear, including ID card, is optional, but you will need an ID card for non-Harbour store discounts, such as at Woody's Restaurant.

Some of the things we have in mind in the upcoming years are shirts and jackets (with funds going toward a Owner Society fund), pot lucks, surf days, movie nights and various social events...Please do not hold us to any of these things, as in all clubs, we will evolve as time goes. If you expect nothing from this club other than good friends, you won't be disappointed.

Although we have the blessings of Bert (Seal beach shop owner) and Rich Harbour, they in no way are responsible or are they the sponsors of this club, and we do not speak for them. All opinions, musings and ramblings of the Harbour Owner's Society Blog are in no way to be construed as coming from Harbour Surfboards as an organization.

We hope to enjoy many years of great surf and stoke with you all.

Sincerely,

The Harbour Owner's Society.

Watching Rich Shape By John Loyd

Watching Rich Shape
by John Lloyd

The Harbour shop held an open house on November 25 to celebrate its expansion. Robert really rolled out the red carpet for everybody, with free food and T-shirts. It was a nice relaxed atmosphere where people could chat with other Harbour owners and talk surf talk.

A special treat was getting to watch Rich shape a board. He worked on a TS that he is making from one of his last Clark blanks. His neck is feeling a little better and, though I could tell it slowed him down a bit, I know it must have felt good for him to get back into the shaping room.

I have great admiration for shapers as craftsmen, and Rich is one of the masters. It was a privilege to watch him work. As he shaped the board, he didn't use any rulers, measuring tape, or calipers. He just used his hands and his experience. The blank had been roughed out by a CNC machine, but it was a very rough planshape and Rich not only had to smooth it out but also make quite a number of alterations. For instance, the machine does not get the nose rocker exactly right, so Rich has to change the curvature by hand. He has done thousands of these boards throughout his long career, and does not need a caliper or ruler to tell him when he has the rocker just right. He peers down the center of the board, then shaves off a little foam a millimeter at a time until it meets his standards. Then it needs to be sanded, and more adjustments made for the rider of this board. It is a long process, but he does not cut corners and pays attention to every detail before he moves on to the next step. I watched in awe as he would run his hands over the foam, find some tiny bump or imperfection that was invisible to the naked eye, and smooth it out with a few swift strokes of the hand planer or sandpaper. The TS is a three-stringer board, with a wood and foam tail block. He meticulously made sure that the edges and corners of the stringers were clean and flush with the foam, so that the entire board was seamless and absolutely smooth.

It makes me think he could do this blindfolded if he had to. The secret was in his hands. As they became covered with a fine coat of foam dust, you realized his hands hold the knowledge of those thousands of boards. They know just how much curve to give the rocker, just how much roll to put in the rails, just how much crown to put on the deck. Then, when at last the blank was finished, he signed his name and numbered it, just like any artist would. A simple declaration that says so much about pride and skill and workmanship that have taken nearly fifty years to perfect: By Rich Harbour. He then inscribed it to its new owner.

He is a true craftsman, and to watch him work is to appreciate the art of shaping a surfboard.

More and more boards are being shaped entirely by machine, or slapped together in factories in China. Surfboard making seems to be going the way of everything else in this industrial society. The economics of the industry are pushing it that direction. But you can’t convince me that a machine can put soul into a board. You can’t tell me that a machine is just as good as the hands, the eye, the mind, and yes, the heart and soul of the human being who shapes a board. As long as I am surfing, I want to know that my board—the thing that puts me in touch with the ocean—has heart and soul. That’s why I ride a Harbour.

By John Loyd


Upcoming events: We're looking forward to Harbour Owner Society t-shirts and jackets in the new year...stay tuned.

December happenings...
Woody's old style surf eatery in Seal Beach has agreed to give Harbour Owner Society members a 10% discount on designated days...stay tuned for dates. And get those ID cards, they are mandatory for discounts. Information on right.

As if the Harbour Surf Day didn't make this November memorable, another great Harbour Event took place, The Harbour Open House.

In late November the Harbour shop in Seal Beach hosted an Open House to give back to their patrons with awesome food and hospitality.

It was a great chance to see the new remodel of the shop. It looks great! Check out the photos.

Pictures by Ron Woolheather (see link on right for his website of great photography), and a short muse by John Lloyd on the experience of watching Rich shape.

More pictures from the day.

November--Harbour Surf Day, 2006

Pictures by Lia, Sumdumsurfer, and Dennisthe12c....thanks.











Sometimes things just work.

No matter how much you plan, how hard you try, sometimes the best laid plans do not yield the fruit that was envisioned...but other times, the result is beyond expectations.


The fourth Harbour Day was one such event.

Waves, weather and stoke all joined together harmoniously to create the best Harbour day yet.

Rich enjoys the day, going against doctor's orders to support the event...Thanks Rich.



Bobby J performs a nice carve in his ride dedicated to Dinkum.

TDRevolver becomes a shock absorber to survive the chop.


















Now that's the way to turn an 11 footer....go Nadine!


Boardhound finds it windy but fun after serving the crowd all day.


















A special treat for the day, a plethora of classic Harbours; included in this fantastic collection, reportedly, was a board shaped in Rich's garage. Thanks for bringing them out!





Jeff's daughter, Jackie grooms the next crop of Harbour surfers.




Boardhound holds down the tent as Jeff and his wonderful family serve up some great food.






Wow...that was fun!