Author: Mike Sciarra

Surfrider Foundation Fundraiser Party on January 26th

Kona Surf Company and Mudhen Brewing Company are partnering with the Surfrider Foundation South Jersey and throwing a party at our house! By any means necessary, get to Mudhen Brewing Company on January 26th for live bands, new merch, your good friends here at Kona Board House and our friends from the Surfrider Foundation South Jersey. Doors open at 5pm so call all your friends and help us make this a blowout for the ages. There’s a bunch of things we’re doing to make this an awesome event so here’s all the deets.

First, let me tell you a little bit about The South Jersey Surfrider Foundation. This organization is out there protecting our beaches and oceans in every way imaginable. On the shore and in the court rooms, they are fighting the good fight to preserve our coastlines. The Foundation has many active campaigns and programs to protect our oceans that focus on keeping plastics and pesticides out of our oceans. More information about the South Jersey Chapter of The Surfrider Foundation South Jersey can be found on their website, click here.

As you know, the ocean is the playground for the surfer. To quote straight from the Surfrider Foundation South Jersey Mission Statement, “We have an appetite for adventure and we all share a common passion – we love and appreciate our ocean, waves and beaches.” Kona Surf Company feels exactly the same way and we are stoked to celebrate this passion with a wingding of a shindig. Lucky for you, you don’t have to love our beaches and oceans as much as we do to be a member of the Surfrider Foundation. As a bonus for new members there are a few perks that we have up our sleeve for becoming a member at this event.

Kona Surf Company are currently in the process of cranking out a swanky new shirt design for the party. 50% of the proceeds from the sale of this shirt will benefit the Surfrider Foundation South Jersey because we love them. Plus, somebody told me it would be really cool if everybody at the party was wearing the same shirt so we are going to have that shirt available for pre-order. So here’s what you want to do. Preorder that shirt here. It will be available for you when you walk in the door at the Mudhen party. Once everyone has their shirts on, we’ll take a group photo.


Click here to order your Kona X Surfrider Foundation Shirt

Oh… and music. Right? What’s a party without some tunes? Crowd favorites Old Diamond Faces will be in the house to rock your faces. Old Diamond Faces are three bands (Old School, The Cape May Diamonds and Facedown) all rolled into one! They play the songs you love to sing and they will be bringing a variety of musical genres in the form of electric guitars!

Currently there is also an open call for artists. In honor of beer can appreciation day, you can enter the Mudhen Beer Can Art Contest! Win a chance to have your artwork featured on a limited edition Earth Day crowler to be released in April. The winner of the contest will be announced at this event. More information about the contest is available on the Mudhen website. Click here for the contest page.

So there you have it, folks. Good times, good friends, good tunes and good beer to strengthen our local surfing community secretly disguised as creating awareness for our local eco-system. It can’t get much better. Oh wait, did I mention there is no cover charge? Boom. It just did.

What’s The SUP?

The popularity of Stand Up Paddle boarding is constantly growing. What is Stand Up Paddle boarding? Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Stand Up Paddle boarding or SUP is a variation of surfing where the surfer uses a paddle for momentum. The versatility and stability a paddle board offers is compelling for people who want to spend a leisurely day in the surf.

When did Stand Up Paddle Boarding start? With a quick internet search, you can find cave paintings of fisherman that appear to be stick figures standing on a rectangle holding an oar, ancient Polynesian ceremonial paddles, Egyptian pharoahs holding sticks while floating on bales of papyrus, native American Indians racing each other standing on boats, ancient Peruvians standing on bundled reeds. It seems like as soon as man saw water he was trying to find a way to get across the top of it using some form of a floating plank and a stick.

Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics boat

Big Wave Surfer and “Waterman” Laird Hamilton has championed many surfing innovations has been a massive proponent in stand up paddle boarding for many years. Some people might say in 1999, when Laird built a paddle, put an American flag on it and rowed his surfboard on 9/11 at Fort Point Malibu was the beginning of SUP as we know it today. Laird is in may ways responsible for the growing interest in the sport but did he invent it? Even though people have been doing something similar since the beginning of time, does putting two things together in an unexpected way and giving it a name suddenly make you the inventor? The mad surfing scientist? The guiding genius of cross-over board sports? I don’t know. I’m not here to judge but when one has devoted his life and used these innovations, as Laird has to inspire others to pursue a healthy lifestyle and to achieve fitness goals then I’m going to go ahead and check yes in my book.

Some surfers view Stand Up Paddle boarding as surfing’s weird younger brother but that is actually not true. Historically speaking, surfing would not exist without paddle boarding. It’s impossible to pinpoint the origin of SUP since the idea of someone propelling themselves across a body of water on a floating platform with a long stick is literally thousands of years old. SUP definitely predates traditional surfing.

For a full look into the history of paddle boarding and it’s rise in popularity, Director Mike Waltze created a fantastic documentary called That First Glide starring Laird Hamilton among other influential paddle boarders. Check out the trailer below. 

 That First Glide Trailer

The beauty of a SUP is when the surfs flat, no big deal, there’s still fun to be had. The SUP has a lot more stability than a traditional surfboard. Not only can you surf but you can do a ton of other things too. An SUP is stable enough to do Yoga, go fishing or snorkeling. A SUP is a great way to stay fit so if you want to take advantage of the newest ancient sport of paddle boarding our experts at the Kona Board House can help you select the perfect package that will fit you right. Currently Kona carries two styles of our own paddle boards.

Stand Up Paddle Boards in stock at Kona Board House, Wildwood New Jersey

The All Day Stand Up Paddle Board is an all-around go to board. The sleek shape will give the rider good control in the water on a flat surface or in the surf. The Escape Stand Up Paddle Board is for maximum stability on the open water. This shape is great for an entry-level paddle board or for activities like Yoga or fishing. Make your own waves with Kona Board House’s complete line of Stand Up Paddleboards. Kona has a variety of available sizes and accessories for our two models to make your day out on the water a perfect one.  See our line of Stand Up Paddle boards here.

If you are not ready to make the leap yet. Kona also offers a rental service for SUP. Find out more information about our SUP rentals here.

What The Fish?

The legacy of the Fish surfboard is the most baffling of all the shapes out there. In it’s fifty plus year existence, uninitiated surfers are still confused by a first look at the Fish. The shape of the board appears to look like it has previously been a longboard that was snapped in half and added a few fins to it. In reality, that is not too far from the truth.

Kona Team Rider Jake Mckenna on the Kona Retro Fish.

Like many things in the surfing encyclopedia, the Fish evolved from older concepts. The Fish combines aspects of both a short and a longboard. Surfboard shaper Steve Lis is credited for creating the Fish surfboard in 1967 in which he carved out of a longboard that was broken in half. Lis, a kneeboarder, who traditionally surfed shortboards on his knees, looked at the broken board and thought the additional width from the front of the broken longboard would be more comfortable to ride. With that being said, this board was first developed as a kneeboard, but Lis took it a step further by splitting the tail. This technique created the extra width needed to support the fins to make the shape a true surfboard.

Unfortunately, due to the rivalry between surfers and kneeboarders, nobody noticed the importance of this new-fangled surfboard that would make a lasting impression on the surfing industry for several years. The Fish started to make an impact in 1972 when Jim Blears and David Nuuhiwa rode the surfboard to victory at the Huntington Beach World Championships. Due to the laid back personality of Steve Lis, he never capitalized on these victories. Lis had also never patented the design or made any attempts to cash in on the board’s success. In an entirely selfless act that is now considered the greatest gift to surfers everywhere, Lis shared the design with local shapers.



Steve Lis Fish Template from Surfer Magazine Design Forum.

The broad swallow tail, straight rocker, and the placement of the fins assist with rail to rail transitions. The increased volume from the wide, thick body catches mushy waves at the local break and helps with paddling. Plus, this thing cooks! It’s super fast on small and large waves which only adds to the misconception of the board. The Fish is tried and true in a variety of surfing conditions. The main benefits of riding a Fish are catching less than ideal waves with more speed, additional stability, quick and easy to paddle, and easier transitions than a longboard.


The fish lineup at Kona Board House in Wildwood, New Jersey.

Through the late seventies and early eighties, the Fish was primarily ridden in San Diego, California. Sometime in the early eighties, shapers modified Lis’ original Fish design. A three-finned version was created that was so popular, the original Fish design became obsolete. It wasn’t until the late nineties when surfers like Donavon Frankenreiter and Dave Rastovich realized that the design of the original fish was not only really fun but is still revolutionary in the speed and flow department, allowing the original design make a comeback.

You know what? There’s an awesome documentary Joseph Ryan made a couple years ago that gives you an in-depth look at the history and design of the Fish surfboard and how the board has impacted the culture. Check out the trailer below.

 Fish: The Surfboard Documentary Trailer

Here at Kona, we offer three versions of the Fish surfboards. We recommend our Twinner Fish surfboard to be the closest shape to the original Fish. It is perfect for all conditions and levels and great for young surfers transitioning from a beginner board. While you’re at it, check out our Kai and Retro Fish models that blend modern elements with the traditional design to increase the boards performance.

You can check the Fish surfboards for sale at Kona here:



Follow The Waves.

In Honor of Forgotten Turtle Gut

Kona Surf Company is honoring the Father of the American Navy, Captain John Barry and his role in an important historical battle that took place right off the coast of Wildwood, New Jersey. Check out our blog post about the Battle of Turtle Gut by clicking here.

Inspired by the history of Turtle Gut, we decided to take the location of this important hallmark in naval ingenuity and add it to the Kona legacy. With plenty of research, we discovered a nineteenth-century map that shows the location of Turtle Gut, which is right on Rambler Road in Wildwood Crest. In 1922, Cape May County wiped out the area of Turtle Gut but Kona is bringing it back to celebrate the heritage of our home.

1777 map of South Jersey showing Turtle Gut

We are stoked for this new design and hope you will be proud to display your local heritage. Our in-house designer, Kristen Eaton, recreated the antique Turtle Gut map as a super-high resolution graphic. With that being said, be on the lookout for a full line of products of the Turtle Gut design in our clothing line and surfboard line in 2019.

As always, all of our Kona clothing products are produced here on location. Here at Kona, everything from the concept to the product is handled on location. We take a hands-on approach with every detail so we can ensure that you are receiving the highest quality product. Our printing department is currently burning screens to print up a fresh batch of shirts and sweatshirts that will be available online and at our flagship store very soon.

In spring of 2019, we will have two surf fins available for purchase along with a fabric inlay design that will be available on our Owen surfboard. Keep an eye out for these items, or join our mailing list to stay up to date on all our latest products. Until then, follow the waves!

Single pivot and classic fins available in 2019.

Creating a unique surfboard shape from scratch.

It may be winter in South Jersey, but the only snow we’re seeing is the dusting of white foam coming off the APS-3000 Generation 5 Custom Surfboard Shaping Machine. Kona is taking decades of experience hand-shaping surfboards and paddling into the digital age. The computerized custom surfboard machine at Kona Board House is buffed out, cranked up, and turned on.

- Shape3d Surfboard Design CAD/CAM software

 

Together with the APS-3000 CNC surfboard shaping machine and the Shape3d Surfboard design CAD software, you can create your own totally unique surfboard shape from scratch. Any part of the surfboard from the nose to the rails to the tail can be modified down to the millimeter. The possibilities with this machine are endless for any surfboard under 12 feet. The Shape3d Software allows you to build your surfboard in a CAD / CAM graphics program specifically designed to integrate with the custom surfboard shaping machine. The program allows you to see multiple views of your custom surfboard at your fingertips; views such as the top, the cross section at any given point, the profile. Virtually any measurement, volume, width, length, rails, etc. can be modified throughout the entire surfboard. The water flow of your bottom contour can be visualized as well. Complete creative control is handed over to the surfer.

 

- Shape3d Water flow screenshot.

 

Currently there are less than 150 of these top-of-the-line surfboard shaping machines worldwide. What does that mean? It means you might say, “Dude. I have this board from 1972 that’s a ripper but I got a gnarly crease on it after an aggro dude dropped in on me.” No Problemo. We can measure and recreate that board down to the millimeter.

 

- APS-3000 Generation 5 Custom Surfboard Shaping Machine in action

 

Kona is offering a totally new service that is unique to the South Jersey area. The APS-3000 Generation 5 Custom Surfboard Shaping Machine has the ability to cut PU (polyurethane) or EPS (expanded polystyrene) blanks of any density. The machine finishes about 95% of the surfboard shaping. Having the experience of… too many years to count right now, hand-shaping custom surfboards is still extremely essential for the fine finishing details for a perfect surface finish.

 

- Finished Kona Surf Company Surfboard

 

The crazy thing is the possibilities for this application do not stop at simply shaping the surfboard, but also glassing. There are two glassing options for your surfboard: polyester resin or epoxy. Each finish has their own pros and cons. Epoxy surfboards tend to be more durable and offer greater buoyancy. Polyester surfboards tend to have more flex and offer a more comfortable ride.

Currently here at Kona, we have been cutting primarily Millennium PU blanks for our customers with an epoxy finish. Our philosophy is that you get a killer combination of flexibility from the PU core and the durable strength of an epoxy finish.

 

-Millennium Foam Surfboard Blanks

 

The bottom line – Kona Surf Co. is offering you, the surfer, an opportunity to take advantage of years of experience and the latest technology to create your magic board.

For more information on creating a custom surfboard, visit our website by clicking here.

Green, Eco-Friendly, Locally Designed – Kona Surf Co. Explains the Art of Screen Printing

 

 

 

Wildwood – Green, eco-friendly, and made right here in Wildwood, NJ at Kona Surf Company HQ, our team continues to design and print clothing palpable and reflective of the greater-tristate area surfing community. Every t-shirt, sweatshirt, and other articles of clothing are designed in-house by our skillful graphic designer, Kristen Eaton, ink mixed by our screen printer, screen printed at the Kona Board House utilizing eco-friendly water based ink, and dried at 560 degrees in an electric heater. Each article of clothing is later heat pressed with a Kona clothing tag acknowledging the efforts put forth by our team to personally design, and screen print that clothing right here in Wildwood, NJ.

 

Made popular during the Andy Warhol era, silk screen printing has been a technique utilized as early as the late 1970s by Kona Surf Company for designing clothing, and we continue to keep the process alive behind the “screens”. “We work hard every day to bring our customers and followers popular designs and clothing that they can wear every day,” said Chris Sciarra, partner and Owner of Kona Surf Co. “Our

 designs continue to cater and relate to the lives of our most valued surfing community here in Cape May County and Southern New Jersey,” said owner and founder, Mike Sciarra…“and we will continue to put out designs that express everything it means to be a cold-water surfer here in New Jersey,” said Mike.

 

 

Visit our Flagship Store or Kona Board House today to purchase some of our latest designs, such as: Night Sky (Whale Tail Design), The Essentials, Hippie Soul, and Follow the Waves. Flagship Store Hours are as follows: Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and our Board House is open for all your shopping needs Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

 

 

 

– Ron Simone

The Ocean Is Never Lacking Our Surfboards Shouldn’t Either

 

 

To anyone who has spent time watching the ebb and flow of tides over days, weeks, hurricane seasons, or cycles of the moon the statement “the ocean is a dynamic environment” is intuitive. The adjective dynamic a system characterized by constant change, activity, and progress.

                  The ocean is never lacking in movement, action, or change, uninteresting –or static. Surfers recognize the truth in this claim intimately. There is a yin / yang element to standing up on a surfboard, catching a wave, and riding it into shore. Let us not forget, the surfboard was a technological innovation made with the purpose of allowing humans to harness the ancient and mysterious power of the ocean in an effort ride a wave from point break into the shore. It took years for the original board makers to master their craft to achieve proper buoyancy, directional stability, traction, and control. For surfers, it was paramount to find experienced board shapers who could create a board to meet their individual needs and surfing styles.  For this reason, surfers ended up with such conventions as long boards, short boards, hard rails soft rails, single to multi-fin boards, and an array of tail shapes. Each was invented, tried, and implemented with specific mods best adapted to the unique and ever changing conditions of the ocean.

              With every adaptation there are tradeoffs involved. Our goal here at Kona Board House is to give the rider complete control over the design process in order to create the “Magic Board.” Here at Kona we have invested in the APS 3000 surfboard shaping machine, 1 of only 25 in the USA. Nearly all the top professionals of 2018 are surfing machine shaped boards due to the level of accuracy and precision of the CNC cutting process.

For those who aren’t as technically inclined, CNC stands for computer numerical control. This means that professional and amateur surfers alike will be able to design their boards in 3D with control over every variable including board length, rail hardness, tail shape, number of fins, type of resin, and board color. What you see is exactly what you get and people really like that nothing is being hidden from them. The creative power is placed in the customers hands and the Kona team is here for guidance, making expert recommendations, and providing the technical support necessary to strengthen the surfing community with a 100% user friendly custom board service. Kona believes this mentality will make the surfing community more knowledgeable, confident, and innovative. Start today, build your own: https://www.konasurfco.com/custom-surfboards

The Charlie Butler Memorial “Storm the Surf”

Wildwood – Stoke is an indescribable feeling only experienced when surfing or in the water – a mixture of excitement and the purest of happiness, most surfers would compare it to utter bliss. Kona Surf Company is honored to continue to bring Stoke to our disabled veterans, by again, providing equipment and manpower to support the 4th Annual Charlie Butler Memorial “Storm the Surf” in Wildwood, NJ. For the 2nd year in a row, since they moved the event to Wildwood, on August 18, 2018, Kona Surf Company, Wildwood First Responders, and the Surftopia made surfing a reality for disabled U.S. Military Veterans on the Wildwood Beach at Burke Avenue.

Open to all current and past military and their families, this event provides a variety of beach activities, including adaptive surfing, kayaking, paddle-boarding, and other ocean sports geared towards inspiring Stoke, and helping our United States Military Veterans cope with the physical & emotional challenges that they face in everyday life. This event is also open to non-military who are physically and emotionally challenged adults and children.

“We are very grateful to be able to provide the necessities and equipment to host this event in such a safe environment, such as Wildwood’s Surfing Beach, with the help of highly qualified first emergency responders and volunteers,” said Kona Surf Company Partner and Owner, Chris Sciarra. “I speak for all of Kona Surf Company in saying how much we appreciate the hard work that George Rague and the entire Charlie Butler Memorial staff has done to bring surfing to a reality for these U.S. Military Disabled Veterans, and we are a proud sponsor and partner now and for years to come,” said Sciarra.

-written by Ron Simone

Shaping machine brings new wave of surfing to Wildwood

WILDWOOD — For decades, local surfers have relied on the artistry and creativity of legendary shapers such as Sea Isle City’s Brian Heritage, Cape May’s Steve “Hag” Piacentine, Wildwood Crest’s Mike Sciarra and Egg Harbor Township’s Brian Wynn for their boards.

Now there’s a new wave in the surfboard industry.

Sciarra and his son Chris, owners of Kona Surf Co. in Wildwood, are now using an Australian shaping machine called the APS3000 to make their surf boards and standup paddleboards.

Surfing Magazine dubbed it, “The Holy Grail of Surfboard Machines.”

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for hand shapers,” APS3000 inventor Miki Langenbach said. “But times have changed. I’ve taken the hand shaper out of the dust and into the office. And I’ve yet to find a hand shaper who isn’t happy about it.”

Mike Sciarra, 68, has been building surfboards since the late 1960s, when he and an old college friend built 35 boards in his garage on Nashville Avenue in Wildwood Crest.

In recent years, Mike and Chris had been using state-of-the-art computer software, the “Shape 3D” system to designed their boards, but had been sending those designs to Australia and California to be made.

Now they will do it themselves at Kona’s board shop on Rio Grande Avenue in Wildwood.

After watching Wildwood’s Fourth of July fireworks display Wednesday, the Sciarras joined Langenbach at the Kona Board Shop and excitedly watched as the first board was created Thursday. It took 22 minutes.

Their new shaping machine, which the Sciarras purchased for $35,000, is one of only 25 in the United States and 150 worldwide.

Besides surf boards, the machine will be making standup paddleboards. Due to space limitations, however, SUPs will have a maximum length of 12 feet.

“It’s about giving people a great experience,” Brian Sciarra said. “They will be involved in the whole process when it comes to making their board.”

Langenbach, who now lives on the Gold Coast in Australia, came up with the idea for a shaping machine in the mid-1980s while building sailboards. He created a template for surfboards in the early 1990s and built a machine called a “pentagraph” that was extremely successful.

“It printed money,” Langenbach said with a laugh.

The current vision first took hold 20 years ago.

Langenbach, who has a background in engineering and mathematics, had reached a stalemate in his plans for a shaping machine when he suddenly got the idea to use a disc to do the cutting.

“It’s much more accurate and much faster than hand shaping,” he said. “Ideally, you should be able to make three or four boards per hour. But a hand shaper still has a vital role in this. The machine is still just a tool. The board is still only as good as the person designing it. Hand shapers are artists. It’s just now they will be designing boards with a computer.”

Top surfers have flocked to machine-made boards, according to Langenbach. He estimated that “90 percent” of the top competitors in the world, including 2016-17 World Surf League Men’s Champion John John Florence, ride on boards produced by the APS3000.

Click Here To Watch Now

The Sciarras are hoping to make a similar impact on the local level.

“This is going to be open to everybody,” Mike Sciarra said. “It’s not about the Kona brand. If Brian Heritage and Brian Wynn want to come and use the machine, I’m all for that. The more, the merrier. This is all about progress and bringing the advancements to the New Jersey and South Jersey surfing communities.”