Life

Coming up with photos, projects and surfboard news every day is a little challenging in the life of a working family. 

We're moving, shifting and getting things in order.

And the life of the Hoyte family goes on...with our two youngsters living life to the fullest and with me starting my own projects as well as the running of a household and helping Russ in his business.

If you don't see a post everyday, it's not because we've lost interest....far from it!

 We are excited to let you see what Russ is working on, it's just that life gets busy and work occasionally takes Russ out of town.

But....there's always time for a little nose-riding!

Aloha and Happy Saturday everyone.

HP Simster

HP (High Performance) Simster

With all the alternative and retro boards being shaped, such as the Simmons and the Mini-Simmons, I decided to take the Simster to a new level.

This board has a high performance rocker and single-concave throughout the whole board.

Dimensions: 5'2  x  20  1/4  x  2  3/8

with a Moon (Crescent)Tail.

Featuring the H2 Fins by FCS and the fluted wing rail.

This type of a rail holds in through critical turns.

Silvana Lima

A few weeks back, under 'Sneak Previews' we blogged that Russ was shaping a board for one of the top women surfers in the world.

Well, now that she has her board....we can tell you more about it.

Outline of Model RX-3.

Dims: 5'7  x  17 1/4  x  2

Round Tail

 

Glass on Custom Bamboo Fins from Fins 101 - Marlin Bacon.

 

Here's Silvana with her custom Hoyte in San Clemente,

prior to flying to Hawaii,

where she said she'd surf it again and give

more feedback.

So far - So Good!

Thanks Silvana:)

Good Luck in Hawaii!

Artwork by Merrick

After seeing her sister help paint a board, Merrick couldn't wait to do one herself.

It's so easy, even a child can do it....until a point:)

A few squiggles here...a few wiggly lines there and...

voila!

Art!

When she knew I would be taking photos for the blog, she insisted on doing her nails!



After this process, Russ took a squeegee...

*an onomatopoetically-named tool with a flat, smooth rubber blade, used to remove or control the flow of liquid on a flat surface. It is used for cleaning and in printing.*

...and in surfboard art. I need to send a memo to Wikipedia:)

... and spread the paint across the surface of the board!

This blends all the colors together for an abstract design that a 4-year old can be proud of!

Family and Friends

 Hi!

It's always good to get a face with a name, so here we are.

At our favorite local surf spot, C-Street, Ventura.

Russell, Jeannine, Merrick and Justice

Missing in the family photo is 'bro-bro', Josiah, 18. He is a young adult now, living in Central California.

**We love you, bro-bro!**

(sorry, hope that didn't embarrass you bro-bro....but I'm gonna make it my life mission to make our kids used to hearing those words!)

Merrick means 'ruler-of-the-ocean'. Can you believe it? A name of destiny for Al Merrick, right?

And our little Merrick is our fearless, extreme-sports ball of ever-moving energy!

Justice means, well, Justice. And trust me, don't try breaking any rules around her. She'll quickly put you right.

She's our feminine, sweet ball of kindness.

Hi honey, lookin' good!

Love you too, but in a very different way!

**wink wink**

This is our good friend, Liselle, who like me is also from South Africa.

Liselle took the above photos.

Liselle has the highly privileged and responsible job of travelling around the WCT tour as chaplain to the pro-girls.

She just came back from balmy Puerto-Rico and is soon heading to balmy Hawaii.

Dang! You go girl!

We love her too!

Happy Friday everyone.

(Can  I hear a Hallelujah?!)

Mesa Cafe Margaritas and Creative Mayhem

Some of our closest friends, Dave and Vicki, own Mesa Cafe...the best home-style food in SB County.

They have asked me to make some unique boards to display and sell there.

Dave's always given me the freedom to make boards that exercise my creative muscles.

(muscles that I use to curl the famous $2.50 margarita:)

Here I am putting a balsa/walnut tailblock on a Simster.

I used 3/8 dowling inserted 3 inches on both sides of the blank and the tailblock.

This is held on with Resin-X, with red pigment to add a splash of color.

And for something really unique, I added the foam tailblock that I had cut off of the original.

Now for the shaping and detailing....photos of completed project to follow.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere!

Happy Hour!

Happy Wednesday.

California Spud

This board I shaped a while ago for our friend, Matt Coleman who we met through church and Santa Barbara Christian Surfers, which he leads.

Matt's a good surfer and wanted a small wave mush-buster.

So....California Spud -  modified.

Check out this Swallow Tail or Sqa-llow Tail. Actually, the name I initially came up with was Slingshot Tail because it looks like my son's wrist-rocket.

I've also seen it called the Jet Tail.

At 5'10  x  20  3/4  this outline has LOTS of curve!

This really gives the board the ability to skate and to utilize a smaller portion of the rail during turns.

The cool thing about this board is that Matt is just over 6 foot tall, about 180 lbs and a really good surfer.

He rode this in a lot of good surf at Rincon and Jalama and has since ordered more.

( Fin system: Lokbox. Fins: Bamboo 101)

Longboards

For the most part, people know me as a shortboard shaper.

Probably due to years of working for Channel Islands and other companies known for their high performance shortboards.

But the truth is, I spent the first ten years shaping longboards and sailboards.

 I love this part of the business as much as the shortboard shaping.

Here are just two of my models.

The Performance Noserider and The Bender.

This green board is part of my retro/hybrid collection.

(To be talked about another time. It's got an ego and insisted on being in the photo.) 

9'3 Noserider and an 11'0 Bender

This Bender is my personal board. EPS Epoxy.

Weighs 9 1/2 lbs.

When it comes to longboarding, Have Fun or Go Home! :)

Happy Weekend everyone.

Hawaii or Bust!

Just sent off these three boards to Hawaii for Pasha.

These are EPS/Resin-X.

Two Speed Droids and a California Spud.

Convertable fin set-ups.

The Speed Droid has a fluted wing that allows the board to get traction in critical turns.

Pasha said he would post a full review on Surfer Mag forum and on this blog.

hint. hint. Pasha:)

Andy Irons

Our hearts are breaking for your family and for your friends.

"For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

 My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth."

Psalm 139 

Paradoxes

Let's talk custom.....

My very good friend Sean (we're going all the way back to High School!) likes to try and stump me when ordering boards.

All the typical paradoxes apply to him...

"...light, yet strong."

"...fast, yet loose."

"...skatey, yet carvey."

"...bright, yet subtle."

"...floaty, yet thin."

"Dude??"

5'10 fuller nose outline +

Wide point: 'around the center' +

Straighter tail, 'with a slight hip' +

Lower nose entry

= Skatey, yet Carvey!

Check!

Fuller volume under chest and forward

with accelerated tail rocker and

ample concave throughout.

100% bamboo fins by Marlin Bacon of Fins 101

( one set of these weighs less than one FCS fin without plugs.

The only fin that floats!)

= Floaty, yet thin. Fast, yet loose.

Check!

 100% hand-made and glassed by Russell Hoyte. 4-ounce bottom, double 4-ounce direct-size E-glass deck with tail patch.

4.8 lbs

80's Flourescent paint splash!

= Light, yet strong. Bright, yet subtle.

Check!

Photos coming soon. Right, Sean?

Happy Monday, except for you Ranger fans.

Our condolences.

Congrats Giants on the World Series, 2010.

San Francisco is rockin' tonight!

Twynn Phynzer

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonlightglassing/3738967867/in/set-72157621909810214/

Check out the photos on the above link.

This is the twynn phynzer made for JP at Moonlight.

JP's also known as surfysurfy man who writes on www.surfysurfy.net.

It's Halloween Weekend here in the States.

Be safe people.

We like you.

Happy Saturday!

Sneak Previews

Lately, I've been completely inspired to create!

These are teaser photos of boards to come.

Some finished, some still in the works (R & D).

Complete photos and reviews are still to come....

 Board #1 features a custom stringer built for Hoyte Designs exclusively.

Notice that the tape indicates where the wood stringer stops; the lighter line just being glue.

Purpose: Flex Tail

 Board #2: This feature is a fluted wing.

Purpose: To channel water down the rail line and give holding power in critical turns.

Board #3: Features a concave bottom.

Purpose: lift and speed.

Board #4: Hand shaping this for one of the top women surfers in the world.

Purpose: Girls just wanna have fun!



Van Go!-gh Justice

Anyone guess what this is?

If you guessed the floor of a glassing room....you're right!

Try doing this on a canvas!

Paint and Pigment combo.

Our oldest daughter is an aspiring artist.

The greatest (and scariest) thing about kids is they want to do everything you do!

Bring your daughter to work day!

This is a lot more fun than finger-painting in grade school!

(Anyone notice she's wearing a trash bag:)

As soon as this paint dries, we are going to hand paint black pinlines which creates a clear separation of color from white foam.

Now ready for laminating....the first step to glassing a board.

Go Fish!

 Meet Rhode Island's Rincon!

Here are some photos, our friend Andrew Fish sent us of him surfing a Fish....we know....ironic:)

We first met him two summers ago in Santa Barbara. He started surfing during childhood summers on Martha's Vineyard and has traveled the East coast, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica and Ecuador....

These were taken during Hurricane Igor and he's riding a Hoyte 'Double-Down' Fish.

This Fish is hooked!