Island Sports Wrap-Up

February 2010 Surfing Report

It’s been said before that the Tybee surfing community is lucky to have a local surfboard shaper and repairer.  But we are more than lucky, we are very fortunate that Jim Stephens happens to be our local shaper.  In fact, it’s fair to say that the heart of our local surfing community is Mr. Jim and his Underground Boardworks Surfshop.  For many folks, part of their trip out to Tybee for a few hours of surfing includes a stop, either on the way out or on their way back home, at Underground Boardworks (UGB) and a brief visit with Jim.  More likely than not, he is in his board shaping shop working to complete someone’s new board or repairing somebody’s ding.  Even on days when a trip out to Tybee isn’t in the plans, many local surfers and beachgoers will pull up Jim’s website just to see how Mr. Jim describes the daily surf forecast for the entertainment value alone!

Jim Stephens has been making surfboards for about 20 years, beginning by making them for himself and friends on a part-time basis.  Early on, Jim crafted boards in a small shaping and glassing room out on Dean Forest Road.  He would work awhile, blow the foam dust off his clothes, and go to work for an airline company out at the airport.  Before long, he was making boards for the “Alakai” surfboard label, and actually constructed the last few boards produced by Alakai.  Some of them are still around (there’s one in Atsushi’s quiver).  In 1999, Clay Culvert of Alakai told Jim of a garage available for rent on Tybee behind Huc-a-Poos where he might set up his own workshop; and from there, Underground Boardworks was born.  UGB was just that workshop until 2004 when an actual retail shop on the back side of Huc-a-Poos opened and Jim retired from the airlines.  Following the fire at Hucapoos in 2006, UGB moved across the parking lot to its present location.

Over the years, Jim has hand crafted about 800 surfboards.  Presently he is making around 8 boards per month.  There is no computer designing or pre-formed blanks involved in an UGB board.  Every one of Jim’s board is totally hand shaped from large foam blanks, cut and shaped by hand, diligently sanded, examined from all angles, and smoothed to perfection.  On the other side of his workshop, the board is hand glassed and painted.  Jim’s boards are built to last and don’t include cheap, thin glassing jobs that are common of many mass-produced surfboards.  That is one reason that you see so many UGB boards not only on Tybee but up and down the east coast now days.

Jim’s philosophy regarding surfboards reflects his philosophy regarding surfing: fun and enjoyable.  He makes “good, clean, functional boards” that work, are easy to surf, and designed with Tybee’s waves and those for most of the southeast coast in mind.  As an avid surfer himself, who has surfed all over the world, he knows what works here.  He makes lots of boards for the average surfer who is more interested in getting lots of rides rather than struggling to catch our size waves on a high performance board.  It’s all about fun, catching waves, and enjoying your surfing trip, according to Jim.  It’s no surprise that he has lots of repeat business and orders. Don’t get the idea that Jim makes just your standard surfboard.  He is constantly innovating.

More than once, I’ve waited to talk to Jim while he was on the phone with some well known, famous shaper in Hawaii or California discussing new designs, techniques or materials.  He was one of the first to produce epoxy boards (I’ve still got one of the first of those he made).  He’s been adding bamboo decks to some of his latest designs.  Just recently back from the surfing industry’s large trade show/convention Surf Expo, Jim noted that more and more of the larger board companies are now making shorter, wider, thicker shortboards for east coast surfing.  Jim has been doing that for at least a couple of years.

It’s not just his craftsmanship, though, that makes Jim Stephens and UGB the heart of our local surfing community.  He has been deeply involved in most of everything that has happened over the past 10 years.  Jim was one of the founding members of our local Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter a few years ago.  With his support and efforts, Tybee has hosted “International Surfing Day” in June the past few years.  People still talk about the great October beach and surfing day enjoyed by many a few years ago when Tybee celebrated its birthday.  That was Jim’s doing.   He has been a strong and constant supporter of our Georgia District Eastern Surfing Association surfers and organization, and has many times donated a new, hand crafted surfboard for them to use as a fund raiser.

Over the last year, our surfing community has held a couple of paddle outs in memory of some members we have lost: Tim Fuller and Ashley Mosely.  Jim was behind the organizing of these special ceremonies.  Probably more than any other single person, Jim Stephens is responsible for the “community” of our Tybee surfing community.

We are more than lucky, we are very fortunate indeed.

You can learn more about Georgia District Eastern Surfing Association by calling 912-897-6651, or e-mailing surftybee@aol.com, or by visiting: surfesa.org.

Island Sports Wrap-Up

ISLAND SPORTS WRAP-UP

Happy New Year!  Looking back and looking ahead
December’s surfing was mixed, with a few nice surprises of some good days, and some of them provided a few hours of clean moderately sized waves.  Although the water is now definitely cold, we had a more gradual temperature decline compared to last year’s fall and winter.  This, added to a fair share of December days in the 70’s helped to prolong the fall surfing season, and provides some hope that maybe January and February will give us some surprises of nice beach days with some clean waves.  For those who are looking way ahead, the first predictions for the 2010 hurricane season call for 11-16 named storms with 6-8 of those becoming hurricanes.  With these numbers, Dr. Gray is predicting an above average hurricane season for 2010.  In the mean time, now that the holiday season has wound down and we are a bit particular about whether it’s worth climbing into a wet suit for a few hours, this is a good time to think about talking to Mr. Jim at Underground Boardworks about a board for spring.

Surfriders Participate in Water Quality Research
The City of Tybee Island was recently awarded a grant from the GA Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program to study possible sources of bacteria pollution in Tybee’s beach water (see article in this edition of the Tybee Times).  A key component of this study will be the participation of volunteers from our local Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter in field work and the collection of field data.  As a part of this study, one of the possible causes of beach water bacteria that will be investigated is shore birds that congregate on the wet intertidal sand during low tide.  The Surfrider volunteers will be comparing sections of beach that have lots of birds with sections that have fewer birds.  Water samples from these areas will be collected from both areas as the tide rises and falls, and the samples will be analyzed for bacteria concentrations.  If you are interested in participating and helping the Surfriders with the field work, contact Joe Richardson at: joe@ceasurf.com.  For more information about the Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter, visit their website at: www.surfrider.org/coastalgeorgia. The next Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter meeting is Monday evening, January 25th,
at 7:00 pm, at Tubby’s Restaurant in Thunderbolt.

Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District 2009 Season Wrap Up and Champions
The Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District held it 2009 Awards Banquet at the Tybee American Legion Building in December with a Mexican Fiesta theme for the affair.  Raffle prizes, plenty of good food, and lots of fun prevailed throughout the event hosted by GA District Directors Tara and Jeff Mosley.  Supporters for the awards banquet and the 2009 GA District surfing season included:  The City of Tybee Island, Underground Boardworks Surf Shop, The Quarter Sports Grill, Spanky’s Beachside, Jim & Jimi Goodlett, Coastal Environmental Analysis, Joe & Jackie Richardson, Joey Wilson and photographybyjoeywilson.com, The Tybee Breeze, The Tybee Times, and The American Legion Post 154.  Joey Wilson took lots of pictures, and they can be seen at: http://www.photographybyjoeywilson.com/Galleries/Surfing-and-Skim-Boarding/GA-District-ESA-Year-End.

You can learn more about Georgia District Eastern Surfing Association by visiting:surfesa.org,
or by calling 912-897-6651, or by e-mailing surftybee@aol.com

ISLAND SPORTS WRAP-UP

The Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District 2009 final standings and champions were:

OPEN SHORTBOARD (ALL AGES)

Josh Richardson 1st,  Wilmington Island, GA
Benjamin Thompson 2nd,  Savannah, GA
Joey Crook 3rd,  Tybee Island, GA
Vaughn Keener 4th,  Wilmington Island, GA
Jennifer Wittendorf 5th,  Tybee Island,GA
Mikey Sloan 6th,  Wilmington Island, GA

MENEHUNES (11 & UNDER)

Noah Mosely 1st ,  Tybee Island, GA
Alex Powers 2nd,  Wilmington Island, GA

BOYS (12-14)

James Urbin 1st,  Hilton Head Island, SC
William Urbin 2nd,  Hilton Head Island, SC
Conrad Fonseca 3rd, Wilmington Island, GA

JUNIOR MEN (15-17)

Josh Richardson 1st,  Wilmington Island, GA

MEN (18-24)

Ben Thompson 1st,  Savannah, GA
Joey Crook 2nd,  Tybee Island, GA
Vaughn Keener 3rd,  Wilmington Island, GA

MASTERS (25-34)

Rolando Gamboa 1st,  Savannah, GA
Mikey Sloan 2nd, Wilmington Island, GA
Chris Black 3rd,  Bluffton, SC

SENIOR MEN (35-44)

Montee Coursey 1st,  Savannah, GA

GRANDMASTERS (45-54)

Randall Kato 1st,  Hinesville, GA
Atsushi Yamada 2nd,  Savannah,GA
Johnny Thompson 3rd,  Guyton, GA

LEGENDS (55-64)

Jimmy Manning 1st,  Whitemarsh Island, GA
Joe Richardson 2nd,  Wilmington Island, GA

WOMEN (18-29)

Jennifer Wittendorf 1st,  Tybee Island, GA

MENEHUNE LONGBOARD (14 & UNDER)

William Urbin 1st,  Hilton Head Island, SC
John Solitario 2nd, Savannah, GA

JUNIOR LONGBOARD (15-17)

Josh Richardson 1st,  Wilmington Island, GA

MENS LONGBOARD (18-34)

Ben Thompson 1st,  Savannah, GA
Joey Crook 2nd,  Tybee Island, GA

MASTER LONGBOARD (35-49)

Atsushi Yamada 1st,  Savannah,GA

LEGENDS LONGBOARD (50 & OVER)

Joe Richardson 1st,  Wilmington Island, GA
Jimmy Manning 2nd,  Whitemarsh Island, GA
Randall Kato 3rd,  Hinesville, GA

WOMENS LONGBOARD (UNDER 30)

Jennifer Wittendorf 1st,  Tybee Island, GA