BUT REALLY, THE RIGHT COLOR CAN MAKE IT WORK BETTER

By corky carroll

I got quite a bit of mail regarding last weeks column about George Lambert and the curse of the surf preppies. But my favorite one came from a dude named Jim Pardue. I couldn't resist sharing it with you, so here it is:

"Well, I got a huge chuckle out of your column this week, and couldn't resist sending in a reply. I have to admit, long ago, I actually bought a surfboard (my first) for the color job. It was a yellow board with an orange deck and that big beautiful "South Shore Surfboards" logo. It was '69, and psychedelia was heavy in the air. The short board revolution was in full swing and the 6'6'' mini-pig looked like just the thing to be seen with on the beach. I never did learn how to ride that thing, but I learned my lesson, sort of. For the next 7 or 8 years I jumped on every design trend that I could afford to.....swallows, twins, stingers. I could surf OK, but I had never had a "magic" board. Then I happened by George's Surf Center on Main St., Huntington Beach. It was payday and my bud and I were imbibing a little on the way to check out the surf. I talked to the sales guy about my preferences, and he showed me a 7'6" G&S, wide nose, stinger-swallow, mostly clear color job. Something inside went "BING!" And so did the cash register. I was by then a Lowers addict and this board was PERFECT for Trestles, but hugely out-of-style. I surfed that board until I couldn't float it any longer. I screamed off the top, I nose rode in the tube, I cut back into the soup and came out every time. I haven't bought a trendy board ever since, instead relying on my shaper or trying to discern if the shop guy I'm talking to is full-0-caca or not. Thanks for the Memories.", Jim Pardue.

I loved that letter. I can't even begin to tell you how many dudes, and especially surf chicks, that I have sold boards to that choose the board more on the color jobs than if it was the right board for them. You try to guide them to the "right" board, but when that special color job catches their eye it's a done deal. "Oh, but this one looks so cool. It's bound to ride great."

If you are the kind of surf shop dude that actually cares about giving his customers the best service possible this sort of thing drives you nuts. Hence the column about my pal George Jennings Lambert III, "Mayor of Main Street." He is one of those dudes. By the way, in case you were wondering, this is not the same George that used to own George's Surf Center. That was George Draper, although he was actually the second George. The original owner was George Patton, who sold it to George Draper, whose name just luckily was also George. That way he didn't have to change the name to like Herman's Surf Center or somethin.' His name being George and not Herman. But George Lambert never owned that shop, or even worked there. He grew up working in the Robert August shop and now is manager at Huntington Surf 'n Sport.

But, getting back to the buying a board for the color job thing, as a seasoned professional surfer I can honestly say that the color of your board shouldn't mean diddley as to how it performs. Although I admit that isn't always the case. Some people react differently to different sorts of stimulus. I have always been prone to getting my boards with color on them. I just like colors better than standard clear, even though I have had many great clear boards.

For quite a while now I have been having my boards airbrushed in a black and white spotted "cow" design. Now I doubt very seriously that it makes them ride any better than clear ones, but there is a method to my madness. Almost always when people see me coming on a cow board it makes them smile or laugh. Even if they are saying "Oh my God, look at this geek with the moo model," they are doing it with some sort of glee. Even the most hard core red eyed brat-rat will at least glare in disgust and crack up a little bit. This occasionally gets me a wave. Some over agro dude will see that baby coming down and decide it might not be so safe to drop in on an out of control old fat man on a cow board. It irks the heck out of them, but hey, a wave is a wave. Plus, I just love to see 'em muttering.

So say what you will, I think color counts. But, the idea is to get a board that is the right size and shape for you and the color should be secondary. Ordering custom boards is the way to go if you are really solidly hung up on what the thing looks like. And, as my boy Jim Pardue so astutely pointed out, sometimes tested designs are a better way to go than the latest fad. As I figure it cows have been around for thousands of years, so I am probably on fairly solid ground at least with my color choice. But wouldn't cha think that with all the subliminal publicity that I am getting them, that Gateway might at least turn me on to a new computer?