Roots Surfboards by Brandon Davis

Customer Name: Brandon Davis

Brand name: Roots

How did you hear about us? Surfin the net for supplies

How was your initial experience at Foam E-Z? Smooth ordering on-line, was able to adjust my order when I needed to add some things last minute.

Why did you want to build your own board? Wanted a quad fish with a retro vibe and just couldn’t swing the money for what I wanted. Also I’ve always been a DIY kinda guy and thought that it would deepen my connection with surfing in the grand scheme of things

Shape of finished board: Retro Skinny Fish

Size of finished board: Length 5’11” Nose 17.5” Width 21” Tail 16.5” Thickness 2 7/8”

What blank did you use? 61HTM Bennett Foam blank.

How was your board building experience? Intense it was a lot like sculpture design or pottery where it’s a multistep process that takes shape and becomes your vision as you go.

Did you use videos, books, web, other? DVD’s; You Tube; Local Shop; Foam E-Z

What videos, books, web, other did you use? Shaping 101, Futures Install DVD, art of Design book.

Do you recommend these resources? Absolutely, the more info and ideas/viewpoints you can get the better.

What do you wish you knew going into this project? More trick tips on cleaner lap lines, resin tinting, fabric inlay, methods for perfecting concave design.

What would you recommend to someone else for their first time? DON’T RUSH!

What tools did you find most useful? Microblades replacement blades saved time on the blank and finish sanding, good sharp trim plane, power sander, Futures Install Jig/Kit.

Where did you run into trouble? Cutting in my concave for evenness was a battle. I finally got it but there’s gotta be a methodical approach rather than “eyeing it”.

What kind of fin system did you use? FUTURES, the install kit I got from Foam E-Z was badass!!! Simplified things immensely and was easy to use right outta the box.

Did you glass the board and what was that experience like? Yes I did glass the board it was my second board I’ve ever done and it was better than the first. For your first I was told to not mess with resin tints and pigments which was great advice because it allowed me to focus more on laps and clean lines. For this board I jumped up to the plate and did a Paisley fabric inlay on the deck and green resin tint to put some pop in the overall look. I tried to lay the tint uneven to give the appearance of water color paintings- came out awesome still need to work on perfecting concaves and lap lines. The biggest thing I can say to first time shaper/glasser is; TAKE YOUR TIME AND IT WILL SHINE THRU IN THE END!!!!!