Stay Close to the Soul
Far from a quiver, yet I need to let everyone know that I now have a Dewey Weber Professional, 9’2.” My second board! Thank you, Kristeli! My friend and previous rider of the vintage classic called the board “The Fairy” for its beautiful, pastel, and cream waves in the glassing. A new nickname has come about for me, though — Big Mamma. I’m a small person, and she is a big board! My mid-length is an 8’6” Faktion. The extra 8 inches of length and heavy fiberglass are a whole lot more board to carry to the beach and maneuver in the water.
“With his trademark red trunks, platinum blond hair, and a definite attitude, Dewey defined the archetype of the Southern California surfer.” —Drew Kampion, Surfing Magazine, Image source: @deweywebersurf
I’m happy to say, so far, so good! She glides on those glassy waist-high waves and feels amazing. The board’s square tail feels stable and ideal for the Rockaway summer ankle-slappers. The learning curve has been mostly about nose-diving and trying to find my sweet spot on the board—where to place my chest as I’m paddling for a wave. I’m finding the board a bit hard to turn once I’m up, but hey, I’m up! My friends in the water say this is a normal challenge when adjusting to a longboard. And this makes sense with my little nose-dive prob. I’m told if I pop up and turn right away, instead of going straight for a few seconds, it will help. Eating it on a 9’2” has more consequences than on a smaller board, so I’m practicing this.
The Dewey Weber Professional was first released in 1968, and production stopped on this hand-shaped noserider in 1988. My feeling, based on the color styling and dings, is that my board has gone through some incarnations and it’s a later model. You can’t see the stringer, and one of the logos seems to have been removed for a repair and then glassed back on. This board has lived some lives, for sure. I like the mystery she holds. sequence, one wave at a time.
“It’s nice to see a Dewey Weber in the water.” My friend mentioned the board might attract some attention from the older gentlemen in the lineup. After a quick chat with one of these dudes, I realized I need to do my homework on Dewey Weber. I can’t ride a classic and not know about the shaper.
I hit the books—starting with deweyweber.com—where I first learned about Dewey Weber’s legendary innovations in board design.
“He was the first surfboard manufacturer to give a model name (i.e., Performer) to designate a particular surfboard design. Dewey revolutionized surfing with the first ‘cutaway’ fin (the infamous hatchet fin), the introduction of the first removable fin unit, and his implementation of the first ‘milling’ machine, which was the forerunner of computer-assisted design. He screen-printed his logo on one of the first colored T-shirts made by Towncraft.”
A little more surfing the net, and I learned that Dewey Weber defined a new, unique, flashy style of longboard surfing, earning his place as a surfing icon—“The Little Man on Wheels.” He was an athlete, a champion yo-yo player, and a wildly successful businessman. He was a drinker. And after personal losses and a major surfing injury, his course changed. Dewey passed away at the young age of 54 in 1993. He left behind a legacy that keeps getting rediscovered by new surfers like me.
What started in 1968 somehow ended up under my feet. That’s surfing. That’s the soul. Three years in, and I’m still counting…
