Shapers, Page 2

skateboards and surfboards. The nice thing about that though is that surfboards take twice as much time, twice as much material and resin, and twice as much creativity to set them apart from the other designs that is out there. I’m burning on all cylinders, and I love it because there is no other way that I would rather live my life.

  I’ve got a couple guys from the team coming by today to test out some of the new shapes and designs, to see if they are the kinds that they would like to skate and carry to represent the shop when they’re out there tearing it up.

  “Blake, let’s see them dude,” says Jimmy, a 17 year old kid that’s been skating my stuff for a few years now. He might be young but he’s extremely loyal and a good kid. That’s all I look for. If they’re not getting into trouble out in the world, getting good marks in school, and they only want to skate my shapes, I’m happy to help them out the best that I can.

  “Here they are man, brand new, just finished a few hours ago,” I said.

  “Damn dude, these are far out,”

  “Yeah, I know, they don’t look like any other boards I’ve made recently,”

  “I can tell. Let’s throw some trucks on there and give them a test ride, don’t worry, I won’t shred it, just want to carve a bit and check out the balance and displacement,”

  “Thanks Jimbo, I appreciate it man,”

  “No problem,” he said.

  Jimmy is pretty thorough so I’d say I have enough time to head out to the beach and see what people are saying about the Board Bash and see who people are interested in seeing out there. I locked up the shop, hopped in the bronco and drove out to a little spot that the tourists don’t know much about, down by the point. I mean, this isn’t So-Cal or Hawaii, but the locals still have the spots where they skate and surf that aren’t overcome with vacationers trying out a lifestyle they don’t lead when they’re home in their normal lives. I get to the cove and I see a few of my regulars and a few guys I’ve never seen before.

  “Hey Bryan, come here bro, I’ve got some questions man,”

  “Blake, brother, how you been,” he said.

  “Been good man, just getting ready for the Bash, you?”

  “Just enjoying the time I spend out here when I’m not working dude, and yeah, the bash is quickly approaching, you got anything new to show us,”

  “Yeah dude, I’ve got some stuff coming that will blow your minds, but hey, are there any other companies that you’ve heard people talking about?” I said.

  I mean, I know what companies are sponsoring it like usual but I want to know what some of the local guys are looking forward to seeing when the Bash comes to town. I want to make sure their excitement with anyone else isn’t higher than their excitement towards me.

  “I heard there are some companies from the other side of the state, Atlantic Side, that are coming out but nothing too special. Everyone I’ve talked to is more interested in what you have coming out, they’re all still talking about last year when you put out the 8-bit design,”

  “No shit? That’s awesome bro, I can’t believe they’re still talking about that, well, that’s good, I mean, I have to keep you guys interested somehow, right?” I said.

  I can’t believe these kids are still talking about the board I released last year. But, to be fair, the 8-bit was the most revolutionary build that I have ever released. It was completely different. All the long boards you usually see out there are similar. You have a long length; with the trucks underneath the board and the only thing you see on the top of the deck are the screws and the design with some tape. Last year, I put out the 8-bit, which was insane. It had drop-in trucks; a killer look comes with that. The drop-ins look nasty that way. Instead of merely bolting on the trucks underneath, I cut out the spot for them through the board and bolted them on the underside, and the shape of the overall board changes with that too.

  “Blake, we can’t wait to see what you’ve got for this year man, and if it’s anywhere near as badass as last year, you’ll be the favorite again, we’ll keep spreading around the excitement bro,”

  “Hey man, I sincerely appreciate it. Why don’t you guys come by the shop later and I’ll give you a sneak peek at what’s coming out next,”

  “No shit? Hell yeah man, we’ll be there,”

  You know, that’s extremely gratifying to hear. This re-affirms what I do this for. There is no doubt that I love the work that I do and I don’t need a pat on the back to continue doing it. But when I go down to the beach and pull up in my truck and everyone turns and heads over to chat with me cause they recognize the car. Or, when they bring up last year’s boards and remember all of the hype that surrounded them and they feel the same with this year, it’s enough to work you up.

  But I can’t linger on it; I have to find out what Jimmy thinks about the new line.

  The Bash is next week and now I have no doubt that I’m gonna kill it.

  About the Author

  W.M. Carver is an aspiring novelist from Chicago, IL. He dabbles in historical fiction and non-fiction, as well as poetry and song lyrics. Although he currently is pursuing a career in advertising and marketing, he will always keep writing close to his heart. He recently received a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL and is pursuing his MBA in Marketing from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL.