SOLD
Specs: 10’ 10” x 22-½” x 3” Plus Fins
Materials and Technique: Michael used an array of reclaimed lumber to create this custom longboard which displays well in both horizontal or vertical orientation, wall mounted (as pictured above) or in a vertical floor stand (as pictured below). This piece includes koa wood, redwood, poplar, wenge, paulownia, and more.
As with all of his wood surfboards, he uses the strip-build technique which first requires ripping the lumber into very thin strips. Next comes the process of gluing and bending – one strip of wood at a time – over a hollow wood or chambered frame (similar to the internal construction of an airplane wing). No paint. No tinted stain. All colors come naturally from the wood.
Because of the inability to reproduce this work, each surfboard is a one-of-a-kind original work of art showcasing the artist’s deliberate intent of blurring the lines between fine art and functional art – depending upon the perspective of the client or collector.
A Word From The Artist on Artistic Inspiration:
I had no end piece in mind when I started this longboard. The grain of the wood drove my direction. It began with the koa wood – the darker colored wood in the mid-section is the koa – then the rest fell in around it.
The majority of the wood in this piece is considered reclaimed, reused, or repurposed in some manner. The koa is salvaged flooring removed from a home in Hawaii. Wenge and poplar are trimmings from a local cabinet shop. The redwood is very unique as it is reclaimed lumber from a dismantled wine tank used during the 1920s for red wine produced at a California Winery.
When my wife caught a glimpse of this longboard in the beginning stage, she asked if I was building a Viking ship. WIth the exaggerated rocker and spanning nearly 11-feet in length, I understand why she thought it resembled a Viking ship. And when it came time to sign and name this piece, Viking seemed to fit.
This piece earned first place in the 2018 Design in Wood International Competitive Exhibition.
I sure love working with this straight-grain, red wine permeated, reclaimed redwood and I hope I’m honoring the life of this old-growth redwood tree with my art.
Please feel free to contact me for more information about other custom wood surfboards currently available for sale, or to inquire about commissioned works of art.
