The glassing process : photo courtesy Classic Malibu

Industry News

Classic Malibu tells all about glassing & twinnie vs. quad

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 3 November, 2008 : - -  Glassing 101: Classic Malibu boards are as diverse as you could imagine, coming in a multitude of shapes, but also in an entire spectrum of colours and combinations. Here’s a need-to-know of the glassing process, courtesy of in-house glasser, Jake Bowrey: 

-  Usually 4 or 6 oz, the fabric is selected on a strength-weight ratio

-  Glass fibre comes in an array of weights. The heavier the fabric, the courser the fibre: 

-  Lighter glass, in addition to reducing weight, increases flex, making for a much tighter, more responsive board.

-  Shortboards need to be light, so 4oz glass is preferable, although the lighter glass forfeits durability. It’s all about compromise…

-  Though purely cosmetic, colour is a huge part of board design. Pigments, sprays and tints come in virtually any colour imaginable.

-  Pigments are opaque dyes mixed with the resin, tints translucent, again in the resin, and sprays are aerosol paints sprayed either directly onto the foam or onto the sanded board.

-  All effects are created on just one layer of cloth, without any layering. So all designs, details and patterns are produced simultaneously, much as would be done on a canvas.

The Twin-Quad: Many’s the time we’ve heard the same quandary: “should I get a twinnie or a quad?”
When it comes down to the pros and cons of a pair of fins vs. a foursome, it's a 'six-of-one' situation. CM's expert fisherman, Neil Randall, has delved into the intricacies of the design and is the mind behind our new dual set-up. "On your front hand, you can create plenty of drive with two fins," says Randall, "giving you that extra speed and allowing for the drawn out turns of a classic keel fin design.

"But on your back hand, unless you're an exceptional surfer, the twinnie will work against you. That's where the quad set-up helps, with its extra hold, exaggerated drive and heaps of acceleration out of the turns".

With the Twin-Quad you get two boards in one: the stylish, old-school feel of a retro fish and the speed and agility of a performance quad.

More Classic Malibu News...

CM is getting hairy!
The lads have decided to do our bit for male health awareness. We’ve signed up for Movember, growing some upper-lip fluff in the name of charity! Come in, mock our efforts and drop some coin for the cause!

The Lightweight:
Classic Malibu's hometown of Noosa is a longboarder's Shangri-La. Boasting a multitude of perfect point set-ups and numerous quality beachbreaks, there's a wave for every occasion.

But not everyone is able to turn, trim or maneouvre a heavy, 9'6" log. Enter the Lightweight. Trimmed down from a Classic Californian model, the Lightweight offers the glide of a heavier board but without risking shoulder dislocation on that long walk to the points.

A traditional board, refined for versatility and the lighter surfer, the Lightweight makes the old-school trim accessible to everyone and no longer purely for the old cats who’ve put away a few too many pies and ales in their time…

The Creator - Meet Classic Malibu founder, Peter White -
Way back in 1965, Peter White took up the planer and carved out his first shape. Mowing foam was in his blood and he soon became a proficient, fully-fledged shaper. Since that time, Peter has shaped thousands of boards across the world, spending significant periods in California and Europe, before returning home to establish Classic Malibu in the early ‘90s

Here, we give you just a brief insight into his life to date: In 1966, Peter, then just an early-teens grommet living in Victoria, carved his first board out of a slab of Styrofoam. Knowing nothing of chemical compatibilities, Peter proceeded to pour polyester resin over his handiwork and watch it promptly dissolve before his eyes.

Not disheartened by this early foray, young Pete continued planing away, securing an apprenticeship under the expert eye of Phil Grace, now head honcho of Quiksilver’s stable of shapers. This gave Peter the grounding he needed to assure a career in the industry. But the lad had itchy feet. In the early ‘70s, Peter visited the UK. A brief sojourn soon turned into a three-year stay, during which time he continued to shape freelance for numerous labels.

In the mid-‘70s, the draw of the homeland was too much and Peter came back to Australia, marrying his love, Janet, and starting a family. After a six-week trip to Santa Barbara, working as head shaper for Ocean Rhythm Surfboards, Peter headed north, settling in Noosa and beginning Classic Malibu.

Since then, Peter’s life has been firmly settled in family and factory life. A few trips overseas, working as guest shaper for companies in Europe and Japan have kept things interesting and a surfer-shaper relationship with virtually any Australian surfer of note have made Peter a linchpin in Australia’s surfing community.

This was recognised in the 2005/06 Australian Longboarding Magazine Peer Poll, when Peter and Classic Malibu were officially recognised for their outstanding services to longboarding. With Surfers Grant Thomas and Jai Lee just a few names on his team, and having crafted boards for the likes of Duane DeSoto, Zac Howard, Ezra Rodriguez and outstanding UK junior, Ben Howarth, there’s no disputing Peter’s pedigree and the quality of his work.

New Shapes For The New Season
Our team of shapers works tirelessly, refining existing shapes, experimenting with one-off designs and extending our already comprehensive range of high-quality surfboards.  With something for everyone in our quiver of shapes, some might think we wouldn’t need to expand. But with technologies, tastes and trends continually in flux, we do our darnedest to keep things fresh, exciting and cutting edge.

www.classicmalibu.com

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Tommy Leitch

Industry - Surfersvillage