- Homemain page
- Aboutthe author
- Storethe gallery
- Contact ussay hello
- TKO Design Groupwebsite
- Subscribe to RSSkeep updated!
Friday, November 14, 2008
William "stretch" Riedel The Inventor of Baby Stretch
MONTH OF THE SHAPER:
WILLIAM " STRETCH" RIEDEL
Article from: http://www.surfingthemag.com
Editor’s Note: In conjunction with our annual Surfboards Issue (On newsstands Nov. 18), we will be posting one interview per day with a craftsman who contributed to the issue. Some are the biggest names in the bay; others are underground and want to keep it that way. But all of them share an equal passion for the crafts that move us forward. In these tough economic times, they all have a lot to say on where their craft is going. First up: 2005 Shaper of the Year, William “Stretch” Riedel.
Name: William “Stretch” Riedel
Zone: Santa Cruz
Years Shaping: 30
Boards Per Week: 25-35
Specialty: Don’t have one, I do it all
Is your business better or worse since the Clark Foam shutdown?
Clark’s closure had zero effect on me.
Do you feel polyurethane foam/polyester resin will always be the dominant surfboard construction?
I think that that question is better stated, do I believe that polyester is superior? And I don’t believe that there is a superior material. Everything has its place. I think that epoxy is a superior resin for a number of reasons. But blank-wise, the blank is an ingredient in the recipe, whereas I don’t use that ingredient that much, it’s a good ingredient in some recipes it’s better.
Do you think there's an increasing or decreasing appreciation for a custom surfboard?
Right now I think it’s decreasing. It’s decreasing and I think that that is because of, number one the media. And number two the clothing companies don’t necessarily want to have big shaper names; they’re dangerous to them. So they will tend to back things like Super Surfboards. A lot of the big companies, you know Billabong, Quiksilver, have surfboard labels in Australia, in Europe. That’s to their advantage. It’s market driven, the decline right now. I don’t believe that it’s possible to sustain it, as long as there is somebody out there who’s willing to do the job and do the job to it’s full extent; learn hydrodynamics, learn composite technology, learn the tools, craftsmanship. I think that they will always be able to make a superior board, and guys that can really surf will always want the best thing that they can get their hands on. The non-shaper driven label, if you were a shaper and your name isn’t on the board, what do you care what it looks like? What do you care what it rides like? It’s just a job. If your name’s on it, it changes things. If it’s your label, it changes things.
Are quads declining or increasing in popularity?
Steady.
What's keeping you afloat? Custom clientele? Shop accounts? Surftech?
That changes for the time of the year. We’re going into winter-time, so this is our custom time of the year. The shops are tentative to stock boards this time of the year, but the guys that really surf now is when they order boards.
If it hasn't already, will your surfboard production ever have to go overseas?
There is a place for overseas production. Will we? I don’t know. We tried it, didn’t like it very much, didn’t feel real good about it. But I think that there’s a place for it. The labels that are going overseas, you can get a cheap board. For the beginning to intermediate surfer who may need high performance, but doesn’t realize it, it gets him going, it gets him surfing, it gets him into a short board, it gets him into the industry, or into the market.
What kind of music do you like to listen to when you shape?
On the computer you can go this website, Pandora, and you type in a band name or 80’s music, or punk rock. I type in NOFX and a bunch of NOFX comes up and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, and Green Day, and that kind of kiddie punk. NOFX is my favorite though.
How much time do you spend on a single board now?
Depends. What’s that board? I don’t have a specialty, so shortboards, like a stock shortboard I’ll spend a half hour, 45 minutes, on each one, and I’m not the only one who’s shaping it. We shape differently than anyone else in the industry. I go through every single board three times and I’ll spend ten or fifteen minutes at each step and then somebody else will do some of the work for me. Some guns I’ll spend 2 or 3 hours on sometimes. A couple of hours on a tow board, depends on what it is, some of the jobs are a lot.
Do you spend more time on the computer screen or in the shaping bay?
All my time is in the shaping bay. I don’t spend any work time on the computer, you know I’ll go on Surfline and check it, or look at the design forum. But I don’t design on a computer screen. I don’t think it’s bad; it’s just not me. The Mona Lisa can’t be built on a computer. I’m not trying to build a floatation device.
How important is teamrider feedback to you?
Everything, I don’t surf, I haven’t been able to surf for 20 years. I have to get feedback, it’s the only way. When I broke my neck I could surf pretty well, but by the time that you really know how to shape, your 20 years into it, I’m still learning at 30 years into it. I don’t know any 50-year-olds that can go out and bust an air. You’re gonna be 50, 45 by the time your really good, but you can’t go out and test what your making. You gotta have rider feedback.
What kind of board do you enjoy shaping most right now?
It changes day to day. The most challenging boards are the ones that I like to shape the best. That would be some of the Pipe guns, Maverick’s guns, Tow boards are really hard.
Are you actively pursuing "greener" avenues in your surfboard production?
We always have. We were one of the first, if not the first, to go to EPS Epoxy. Our foam is all recycled, all of our waste is recycled. To the point where we don’t use any virgin cardboard, all of our cardboard is recycled. We go over to SurfTech and grab all their cardboard boxes, we have all our foam shipped here in cardboard boxes and we reuse that cardboard to ship a board back out again. We’re always looking for ways to recycle.
Subscribe Now: Feed Icon
My Blog List
-
-
Monday 10-30-2023 - Lucked out on an afternoon session that was pretty damn fun. The plan it to get down there tomorrow too.5 months ago
-
San Mateo Creek Washes Out the Berm — Any wild animals? - Okay, I’m a water resources engineer and geek. We were having some conversations in the water on Saturday about when San Mateo Creek might break through th...1 year ago
-
Ini Spesifikasi Hp Terbaru Realme, Reame 5s - [image: Hp terbaru realme] Hp terbaru realme - Ketika mulai meluncurnya produksi hp terbaru dengan tampilan dan fitur yang unik dan menarik, pastinya ko...1 year ago
-
'Best Coast' California surf culture hand embroidered surf shack pillow. - A little while ago, I was lucky enough to live in one of Southern California's best surf towns, Encinitas, near San Diego for a few years. While we were ...3 years ago
-
-
Into the Sea – a short film about coastal conservation - A short film by Mikey DeTemple in collaboration with Surfrider Foundation about water quality and coastal conservation. This film goes back to a lot of the...8 years ago
-
Cara Memperbanyak Kontak BBM - *Cara Memperbanyak Kontak BBM* Cara Memperbanyak Kontak BBM | How to dealings both increased fuel in haste to hint in responsibility affair online or as p...8 years ago
-
Reminder: Leucadia Used Surfboard Swap Sat March 28 2015 - Bring your old surf junk to Leucadia this Saturday and sell it to your fellow surfboard enthusiast. RSVP on Facecbook Here is our posting on Craigslist...9 years ago
-
Just Bonzer's last post - 10th July 2013: the last post in Just Bonzers… I started the blog as a very respectful doffing of my cap to Malcolm and Duncan’s bonzer designs which inspi...10 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Pura Vida - Tim Orr *hearts* fins. He sent in a shot of some of the ones he has in his collection. Pretty nuts!: Tim shapes surfboards under his Pure Life Surfboards l...14 years ago
-
Surf Shops
Labels
TKO Slideshow
(18)
Laguna Beach
(16)
Upper Trestles
(16)
Video
(16)
Cardiff Reef
(15)
Uppers
(14)
EGP
(8)
Swamis
(8)
Tim Elsner
(8)
Trestles
(7)
Jeff Divine
(6)
La Jolla
(6)
Lopez
(6)
Pipeline
(6)
Sutherland
(6)
Trailer
(6)
Dawn at Upper Trestles Estuary
(5)
Morning Light
(5)
illustration
(5)
la Jolla Shores
(5)
Estuary
(4)
Swamis Cafe
(4)
TED
(4)
TKO
(4)
matchcover
(4)
palm trees
(4)
California
(3)
Cardboard Surfboards
(3)
Cleo Street
(3)
Eric Kurzbard
(3)
Flower
(3)
Icons of Surf
(3)
Joe Bauguess
(3)
Joe Newlon
(3)
Ken Mockett
(3)
Mike Eaton
(3)
Mike Sheldrake
(3)
outrigger
(3)
ALEX KOPPS
(2)
Ad
(2)
Andy
(2)
Artist
(2)
Cardiff by the Sea
(2)
Cheers
(2)
Daily Surf Check
(2)
Dexter Gordon
(2)
Displacement
(2)
Doheny
(2)
Faces At Upper Trestles_07-12-2008
(2)
Full Moon
(2)
Greg Carlson
(2)
Guardian Of the Hut at Uppers
(2)
Harold Reid
(2)
Jim Denevan
(2)
Keith Lee
(2)
Kevin Kelly
(2)
La Jolla Shore's
(2)
Main Beach
(2)
PICARESQUE
(2)
Phil Lowe
(2)
Polynesian
(2)
Posted by Extreme Gardening Phil
(2)
San Clemente
(2)
San-O
(2)
Saturday
(2)
Seagulls
(2)
Sunrise
(2)
Upper Trestles Summer Drought
(2)
Van
(2)
Woodshed Films "One Track Mind"
(2)
hawaii
(2)
hula girl
(2)
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
(1)
2 AM
(1)
2008 Sacred Craft Consumer Surfboard Expo
(1)
6'8" Bonzer Zinger
(1)
8 Years Later
(1)
A Day at Dog Park
(1)
AIRFORCE ONE in 09
(1)
Alex
(1)
Alive
(1)
Alonso Alvarez Barreda
(1)
Amtrak
(1)
Another Day At Work
(1)
Ansel Adams Nature Photo of the Day
(1)
Anything But Three 08
(1)
Arch Angel Michael
(1)
Artisit
(1)
Atlantic Proa
(1)
August
(1)
Beauties
(1)
Big Red Pecker
(1)
Bill Evan
(1)
Bing
(1)
Bird Rock
(1)
Bird of Paradise
(1)
Blackies
(1)
Blown Out
(1)
Blown-Out
(1)
Blue Leash
(1)
Blunt Nose
(1)
Bora Lane; Moving photography
(1)
Brian Alper
(1)
Bridge
(1)
Bridge 2
(1)
Bridge in Fog
(1)
Bruce Lee
(1)
Buddha and Black Cat
(1)
Bunker Spreckles
(1)
Bustin Down the Doors
(1)
Buzzy Trent
(1)
CA
(1)
Cannes Short Film
(1)
Canon's New EOS 5D Mark ll
(1)
Cardiff Christmas Tree Story
(1)
Cat in a Box
(1)
Chalk Art
(1)
Chris Hukill
(1)
Chris Jordan
(1)
Cigars
(1)
Classic Fall Morning
(1)
Clay Marzo
(1)
Clean Smack
(1)
Clean Trestles
(1)
Cleo Street Laguna Beach
(1)
Cleo Street Moon and Tree
(1)
Cleo Street Rock
(1)
Cleo Street Tree gets a Hair Cut
(1)
Coming In
(1)
Cory
(1)
Dana Point
(1)
Dave Lee and Stretch
(1)
Dawn
(1)
Dawn Patrol
(1)
Dennis McTighe
(1)
Department of Commerce Ruling on Trestles
(1)
Derek Hynd
(1)
Diamond-T
(1)
Dick Newick
(1)
Did You Know
(1)
Die SUP
(1)
Diego Stocco - Music From A Tree
(1)
Donald Takayama
(1)
Double-Ender
(1)
Dustin O
(1)
EGP In the Lagoon
(1)
EXTREME GARDENING PHIL
(1)
East Coast
(1)
Empty
(1)
Extreme Sheep LED Art
(1)
Fall Fires
(1)
Fall Morning at Upper Trestles Estuary
(1)
Filthy water dinkable
(1)
First Light
(1)
Fisherman
(1)
Flora at Upper Trestles
(1)
Focusing
(1)
Frank
(1)
Fred
(1)
Fresh Juice
(1)
Full Moon Over Cleo ST.
(1)
Full Moon in Spring
(1)
Gary Burton
(1)
Ghost Walk 2:30 AM
(1)
Glendale
(1)
Great Depression
(1)
Great White Shark Sighting
(1)
Greg's Check List
(1)
Groove Pocket
(1)
HDR Photo
(1)
HOW'S THE SURF
(1)
Half-Day Henry's Dream
(1)
Half-Day Henry_07-12-2008
(1)
Happy Holiday's
(1)
Happy Mother's Day
(1)
Happy New Year
(1)
Happy New Year's
(1)
Hiding Behind a Trestle Log a diamond in the rough
(1)
High Tide 7.2
(1)
History
(1)
Holiday Walk in North Laguna
(1)
Home
(1)
Hospitals
(1)
I want to Live There
(1)
ICELAND
(1)
IF
(1)
IGun
(1)
Il Postino
(1)
In The Estuary
(1)
In the top 5 best waves...
(1)
Inside the Orange Inn
(1)
Is That Extreme Enough
(1)
Jake Shimabukuro
(1)
Jeffreys Bay
(1)
Jenna
(1)
Jenna and bloody board
(1)
Jesse Timm
(1)
Joel Tudor
(1)
John Orth painter
(1)
Jon Steele
(1)
Jordy Smith
(1)
Josh Kimball
(1)
Just Add Water
(1)
L.A. Times
(1)
LSD
(1)
Laguna Canyon Evening
(1)
Larry Lessig
(1)
Las Pulgas
(1)
Last Morning of 2007
(1)
Last Wave of the Day
(1)
Lawn Bowling
(1)
Letter from my son in Argentina
(1)
Little Guy
(1)
Live Recording
(1)
Local San Clemente
(1)
Local Surf Report
(1)
Long Distance Swimmer
(1)
Longboarder Ad
(1)
Lost between Upper and Lowers. 03-03-2008
(1)
Louisiana
(1)
Low Impact
(1)
Maine
(1)
Malcolm
(1)
Man missing
(1)
Marshall Daza
(1)
Matt Calvani
(1)
Matt Parker
(1)
Matt Parker Upper trestles 08-15-2008
(1)
Matt Parker_the day nobody showed up because it rained
(1)
Metrolink
(1)
Michael Pritchard
(1)
Mike Castillo
(1)
Miki Dora
(1)
Miles Davis
(1)
Mini Simmons RELIGION
(1)
Misty Morning
(1)
Monster Friday
(1)
Moonlight
(1)
Moonlight Beach
(1)
Moonlight over Rockpile
(1)
Morning Session
(1)
Morning Time in the Reeds
(1)
Musica Surfica
(1)
My New Melodica Came Today
(1)
My whole life is this one wave
(1)
Nathan Oldfield
(1)
National Geographic Pictures
(1)
New Film THE PRESENT
(1)
New Sport
(1)
Newport Beach
(1)
NicK and Friend Look'n Like there in Peru
(1)
Nicaragua
(1)
No Surf Schools
(1)
ONE WAVE...many dreams
(1)
Obama 08
(1)
Ocean Minded Morning
(1)
Oceanside Dreams
(1)
On Green Dolphin Street
(1)
On the Nose
(1)
Pacific Coast Shark News 2009
(1)
Paddling Out
(1)
Parking Lot
(1)
Path to Lowers 2:55 AM
(1)
Paul Newman
(1)
Pelican
(1)
Pelican over the Sea
(1)
Pendleton Burning
(1)
Phil
(1)
Photographer
(1)
Ping Pong
(1)
Polynesi
(1)
Pumpkin
(1)
Quadro Nuevo
(1)
Quan Yin and The Koi
(1)
Rainy Day
(1)
Red Rider
(1)
Richard Galliano Trio
(1)
Richard the Hulk
(1)
Richie Sowa's
(1)
Riding Waves John Peck
(1)
Robert (RP Limos)
(1)
Robert Crumb
(1)
Robert Crumb's History
(1)
Robert's Bike and Board
(1)
Robin Williams
(1)
Rockpile
(1)
Ron Stepp'n
(1)
Ron and Jesse
(1)
Rudyard Kipling
(1)
SEE Weed
(1)
SHIPSTERN GOING OFF
(1)
Saint Ann's Beach
(1)
Saint Annes Beach
(1)
San Mateo Valley
(1)
San-O Power Plant from Upper 2:45 AM
(1)
Save Trestles
(1)
Save Trestles Update
(1)
Say Hello To Mini Simmons
(1)
Say hello to the HAMMOND 44 MELODION
(1)
Script's Pier
(1)
Script's Pier 3
(1)
Script's Pier and the Hills
(1)
Seagulls and Surfers From Cardiff
(1)
Seaweed
(1)
Seaweed La Jolla
(1)
Seaworthy Promo
(1)
Shaped by Mike Eaton
(1)
Shapes A Ferrari
(1)
Shaping Bat-tail Zinger
(1)
Shaws Cove
(1)
Shell on Log
(1)
Simfish
(1)
Simm's
(1)
Skip Frye
(1)
Skip Fryes Man Wax and Mo Mo
(1)
South Africa
(1)
Spud Boards
(1)
St. John Will J Am Coltrane
(1)
Steve Tyrell
(1)
Sugar Shack
(1)
Summer at Upper Trestles Estuary
(1)
Sunday 02-01-2009
(1)
Surf People
(1)
Swamis Parking Lot
(1)
Sweetwater
(1)
Swell
(1)
THE MACTINI
(1)
TKO Bloggger
(1)
TKO Knock Out
(1)
TKO's Zinger 6'8"
(1)
Thalia Street
(1)
The Hawk and The Hare
(1)
The Inventor of Baby Stretch
(1)
The Man
(1)
The Mystery
(1)
The Myth
(1)
The Reeds at Trestles
(1)
The Restoration of a Innovative Proa
(1)
The Surf Handle
(1)
The Trail to Lowers
(1)
These Waves are NFS
(1)
Thomas Campbell's
(1)
Tidepools
(1)
Tim Elsner at Nusa Tenggara 1
(1)
Tim Elsner at Nusa Tenggara 2
(1)
Tim Elsner at Nusa Tenggara 3
(1)
Tim Elsner's Bike
(1)
Torin and Friends Skating at Home
(1)
Toshi and Friend at Upper Trestles
(1)
Trader Vic's
(1)
Traffic Rampage
(1)
Trestle
(1)
Tribute to Rick Griffin
(1)
Tudor Diamond-T Surfboard
(1)
Tuesday Last Week
(1)
Ukulele
(1)
Under the Cardiff Reef Bridge_1
(1)
Under the Cardiff Reef Bridge_2
(1)
Under the Cardiff Reef Bridge_3
(1)
Upper Trestle Estuary 3:10 AM
(1)
Upper Trestle Hut
(1)
Upper Trestle in the Swamp
(1)
Upper Trestle's Estuary_07-12-2008
(1)
Upper Trestles Beauty 1
(1)
Upper Trestles Beauty 2
(1)
Upper Trestles Beauty 3
(1)
Upper Trestles Beauty 4
(1)
Upper Trestles Lagoon
(1)
Upper Trestles Magical Estuary
(1)
Upper Trestles in the Fog
(1)
Upper's Crew
(1)
Upper's Trestle
(1)
Upper's Untouched
(1)
Viagra
(1)
Victor Bergeron
(1)
WHY NOT
(1)
Wassup Guys
(1)
What a Beautiful Day
(1)
Wheele
(1)
William "stretch" Riedel
(1)
Wingsuite
(1)
Woodland
(1)
Yoga
(1)
antwerpen
(1)
arjenteenuh.com
(1)
belguim
(1)
by Andreas Isenegger
(1)
by Herman Leonard
(1)
by Tim Elsner
(1)
central
(1)
fit to be tied
(1)
funny
(1)
greg noll
(1)
his foamn by Jabob Campbell
(1)
in pictures
(1)
kevin o'sullivan
(1)
left point san blas
(1)
lifeguard tower
(1)
live at The Americana at Brand
(1)
lower Trestles
(1)
man made island
(1)
menu
(1)
mike stang
(1)
mountain
(1)
outside pipeline
(1)
pictures
(1)
pitch
(1)
poem
(1)
rare clip
(1)
single-fin gun
(1)
snip-it
(1)
snow
(1)
some shocking stats
(1)
sound of music
(1)
swoop
(1)
wavevs
(1)
yes I'm going left
(1)
4 comments:
I have been browsing on-line more than 3 hours as оf latе, but I by no means ԁiscoverеԁ any interestіng article likе
yours. It is pretty ѵalue еnough for me. ӏn
my view, if all site owners and bloggeгs maԁe just гight
content mateгial as you did, the web ωill be a lot more hеlpful than eveг befοre.
My ωeblog ... short term loans
It's really very difficult in this full of activity life to listen news on Television, therefore I only use world wide web for that reason, and get the newest information.
Also visit my web site; same day loans
Hі evеryone, it's my first visit at this web page, and paragraph is really fruitful in support of me, keep up posting such articles.
Here is my homepage :: Same Day Payday Loans
Τhiѕ іs my first tіme visit at here
and i am in fact hарpy to reаd all аt alone plасe.
Heгe іѕ my web blog payday advance
Post a Comment