Roam Chronicles
I made this short video to highlight some of the favorite boards in my quiver. Whether it is surfing or snowboarding or skating, these boards have stood the test of time and lived through many phases and culls.
The Quiver
Surfboard Quiver
Custom Longboard – 8’6″
This not-quite-a-longboard was writen about in a full article called ‘That Trip to Garden Grove’ right here on Roam Chronicles.
I wrote that story because it turned out to be such a memorable experience, far from what you expect when buying something off of Craigslist.
Buying that board was a big part of my move to Seal Beach, California and finally being in a place to surf a lot.
Since then it has had a good life, caught lots of waves up and down the California coast, and even did a stint in Venice Beach.
I’m not a huge longboarder, but having this board has always been super handy. I love it.
Bettis Surfboards 6’2″ Twin Keel Fish
Bettis Surfboards isn’t a huge name in surfboards but is well-known in Orange County. This fish surfboard was another Craigslist pickup for me when I lived in Seal Beach. At that time I was still struggling on small, lightweight thrusters and mostly surfing on the 8’6″.
My wave count was finally going through the roof, and my arms and endurance were growing, but ripping on a shortboard was a dream that was still far away.
I had always wanted to add a fish to the quiver because I really thought this type of board was the solution to my problems. This was at a time when fish weren’t everywhere and the retro board thing hadn’t yet taken hold.
A guy right down the street from me in Seal Beach was unloading it, and honestly, this is my go-to surfboard. I love it. It can handle all sorts of conditions, including when it is getting big (for me). This fish paddles like a dream, catches every wave that comes near it, and can both carve turns or even handle a foot up on the nose.
If I had to whittle it down to a one-board quiver, this would be the one.
The only problem with glassed-on keel fins is that these boards don’t make great travel boards.
Harbour Surfboards 6’0″ Fish
Living in Seal Beach, the dream is to get a Harbour Surfboards longboard. However, not being a longboarder, I went to Harbour to order up a custom fish surfboard with removable fins as a travel board.
Despite being really known for their longboards, Harbour has a solid reputation for making boards of all sorts, and the fish certainly fits in their old-school specialty.
Most people consider 6’0 long for a fish, but this board can handle a wide variety of conditions which is what a great travel board is all about.
If it gets too big for this board, I’m probably not in the water anyway.
Becker Surfboards 5’10” Singlefin
I picked up this Becker single fin in Austin, TX of all places. I was going to school there and was heading down to the Gulf Coast for a vacation. Even then I knew I wanted to figure out this whole surfing thing, so I grabbed this board from a shop there and saved it from a life of retail decoration.
I love that this board that I grabbed in the middle of the country has since lived and been surfed on the East Coast, West Coast, and the Caribbean.
Having a single fin and the wave count to switch up boards once I moved to California was a great experience. I remember taking it out to grab waves in solid head-high plus waves at Huntington Beach.
What a journey.
Snowboard Quiver
I bought my first snowboard in 1995 and had rented boards even before that. My journey from Texas to upstate New York, Vermont, California, Colorado, Europe has always had snowboarding close to its heart.
Add to that trips to New Zealand, Chile, Switzerland, Canada, and many more.
These snowboards are just the ones that I actually use right now. There are a couple others that are more wall hangers, not to mention the kids quiver!
In my opinion, a solid snowboard quiver includes a classic cambered board (perhaps with a modern shape), a powder board, and a splitboard.
Here’s the snowboard quiver:
Weston Backwoods 161
I rarely pick up new boards at the beginning of the season. Why not grab something at the end, or a year old model, and save a few hundred bucks?
In this case, I was “in need” 🙂 of a new board and was rewarding myself for all of that parenting I was doing with kids home during the pandemic.
By parenting, I meant taking them snowboarding at Eldora five days a week.
It was rough.
Anyway, the board, I digress.
I have experimented with rocker and all these crazy shaped snowboards, but missed a classic cambered board. At the same time, I had learned to love wider, shorter powderboards like my Spring Break Slushslasher.
But I needed something that could downhill carve at speed.
The Weston Backwoods has not disappointed. It rips, glides well, and can handle all sorts of conditions. It can carve tight in trees or carry speed downhill.
Love it.
Venture Snowboards Paragon 161
I had a chance to meet the good folks at Venture Snowboards and wanted to support this amazing Colorado company.
Venture Snowboards is known for building bulletproof snowboards that can survive in their backyard, Silverton, Colorado.
Spring Break Slush Slasher 147
I love this little board. The Slush Slasher opened my eyes to the party on a short, wide snowboard. I ride it in all conditions, except the hard stuff.
It carves great, rips groomers, and floats on powder like a dream.
Having no tail, it rips through trees and doesn’t get bogged down. Plus they don’t cost a ton of money, so just go put on in your quiver for those deep days or spring cruisers.
Sector 9
Last but not least, a Sector 9 longboard skateboard. I don’t skate a ton these days, though I feel myself being drawn back in by my kids.
But I’ll never not have a skateboard at the ready. Skating was the gateway drug to all of these other passions in my life.
Growing up in Houston, it was flat and full of concrete, so skating was the way. My brother built the ramps.
