Wally Boards

1. Your Name: Wally Drake

2. Your Brand name: Wally Boards

3. How did you hear about us? While surfing the internet.

4. How was your initial experience at Foam E-Z?
After hours and hours of designing/learning I finally entered the door. At first I was intimidated but the staff was very helpful and encouraging.

5. Why did you want to build your own board?
Maybe I will build the perfect board and miraculously be able to surf my way.

6. Shape of finished board?
Shorter long board for ease of catching and riding small waves.

7. Size of finished board:
Length 8’-0” Nose 17” Width 22 1/2” Tail 15 1/2” Thickness 3 1/2"

8. What blank did you use? US Blanks

9. How was your board building experience?
I built my own sailboat when I was younger and since have built furniture and buildings and found making a surfboard as challenging as any of them.

10. Did you use videos, books, web, other?
Mostly the web.

11. What videos, books, web, other did you use?
Spent hours on Youtube, Swaylocks and thinking about what and how to do it. Made drawings and practice pieces of foam.

12. Do you recommend these resources? Anything that helps.

13. What do you wish you knew going into this project?
Cut laps are more work but can look fantastic. Want to be efficient at the shaping.

14. What would you recommend to someone else for their first time?
Do lots of research, ask questions, be patient, be thorough and think through the process
beforehand.

15. What tools did you find most useful?
Having a steady hand for power planing and Surform and careful measuring devices with luck.

16. Where did you run into trouble?
Difficult to make clean laps at nose and point of bat tail. Also getting an even overall color in epoxy is challenging.

17. What kind of fin system did you use and why?
I like Probox fin boxes for ease of installation and variety of fin angles. Have adapted Future Fins to fit.

18. Did you glass the board and what was that experience like?
Glassing is very challenging to use just enough resin evenly applied.

19. Where did you shape and glass your board?
In my garage in place of a car.

20. What type of board do you want to make next?
7’-6” Fat Fish.

"The drop of water coming off of one of the leaves is the last drop of water with the last fish in it. To remind me to not take the environment for granted."