Category: Uncategorized

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.”

3rd Annual Kona Board Swap

Bored of Your Board? Kona Surf Company’s Board-Swap Event is Here for You!

Wildwood – It’s that time of the year again, when wetsuits are near shed, and you probably need a little bit more float to address those summer flat-spells. Have some of your older boards started to collect dust in the garage? Don’t let those old sticks in your quiver just sit there, and mark your calendars for this year’s Board-Swap Event at Kona Surf Company! From skateboards to surfboards, trade it in something old, for something new or used!

This year’s 3rd Annual Board-Swap Event is unlike any other. Through the addition of new equipment and designs, Kona Surf Company has created a “Mecca” for Surfboard manufacturing in the State of New Jersey. The APS-3000 (Gen.5 Machine) – Kona’s new state-of-the-art board-shaping machine, will make its debut on July 1st at Kona Surf Company HQ for this year’s Board-Swap Event. We will be running demos of the machine for the event duration.

Art, Music, Giveaways and surf culture unite on Sunday, July 1st, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Kona Board House, 160 W Rio Grande Avenue, Wildwood, NJ 08260. Men and Women in the surfing and skating community can bring a surfboard, longboard or skateboard over to the shop to be traded with other boards on display for the same intended purpose. At the event, attendees will enjoy live music by Stellar Mojo, giveaways, live painting, board-shaping demos, and store-wide sales on clothing, surfboards, and equipment. No limit on the amount of boards you can bring, and no limit on the amount of trades you can make. No fees are required, but we only ask that you Follow the Waves over to the Board House, and bring your stoke!

“We are stoked to have the APS-3000 here for this year’s Board-Swap,” said Chris Sciarra, partner owner of Kona Surf Company. “It has been a long wait and a lot of hard work, but I believe we are currently witnessing some game changing events here at Kona HQ, and I personally am excited to showcase some of these changes at this year’s Board-Swap,” said Chris.

For more information on the Kona Board-Swap Event, please contact Kona Board House at (609) 522-7899.

-written by Ron Simone

Creating an interactive experience at the Kona Surf Company

 

 

Kona Flagship Location

What once started as a couple blanks, cloth, and a bucket of glassing in a Wildwood garage during the late 60s, 50 years later it has evolved into one of the upcoming Surf Companies in the State, with two separate locations in the Heart of Wildwood. Upgrades to facilities continue to yield progress and open up new doorways to the future as the past 5 years have proven to be a very exciting time for Kona Surf Company. Investments in new equipment and materials have netted an increase in clothing production, which means countless styles and new designs for our surfing community! Our 10,000 ft. Flagship Store has been our stage for these clothing and apparel improvements. All clothing related production – silk screen press, screen printing and embroidery are all custom crafted at Kona Surf Company, the headquarters in Wildwood, NJ, printed in the USA. We make our products for our community, the surfing community. Our marketing team works hard every day to come up with new designs that cater to our local surfers. Through the use of local photography, our natural landscape, and of course, great surfing, the designs are endless and we look forward to bringing these innovative products and designs to our customers.

Board House Location

Through the new design and reconfiguration of our Board House location, Kona Surf Company has made room for greater quantities of higher quality products. Whether it is a customary fin setup with wood-inlay, a twin-fin retro fish, a SUP, or Log with your preferred rocker and concave, all of our products can be catered to your needs and preference. You give us the dimensions you want, and we will make it happen! Not sure what you want? Select from any of our signature shapes and designs, including (but not limited to): the “Hyper Mike”, the “Owen”, the “Goodman”, “Twinner”, “Summertime”; and more…

Our 5000 ft retail space includes a brand new board shaping machine dubbed, the APS-3000 (Gen.5 Machine), and a fully customized shaping room. The APS-3000 allows Kona Surf Co. to virtually shape any blank to any dimension, seamlessly and without error, cutting down on the production time to get your surfboard to you at a faster rate.

The Kona Board House is a direct call back to Mike’s original days of hand- shaping boards for his buddies around the world. We have taken that same spirit to create the first surf shop in the state to bring this technological innovation to a brick and mortar location in New Jersey.

About Us:

Enjoying the ocean since 1969, Kona Surf is the “brainchild” of company founder and owner, Mike Sciarra. A brand driven by innovations and designs consistent with the Southern New Jersey landscape, Kona Surf Company strives to be a life-style brand that caters to the lifestyles of our local surfing community. Kona Surf Company always strives to be the best. Daily, our team of like-minded creators and innovators that work together toward the same common goal of improving our products and designs to the needs of our customers. Kona Surf Company’s most recent investments in the future have increased production and created more opportunities for employment in a place where most jobs are only available during the summer months.

The new Kona Surf Company mission is to create a interactive experience for anyone who walks into our retail locations. Whether its in the Board House to create a custom surfboard or in our Flagship location to get a custom embroidery hat, we want to set a new standard for surfboards, clothing and apparel manufactured on the New Jersey Coast. Through our contagious integrity to making the best products, Mike Sciarra’s goal is to inspire future generations to dream big and Follow The Waves to wherever it takes you…