In with the old

Jasmine Lee

For some, it’s about the shape, the supple curves, of a 9-foot slab of

fiberglass-covered foam.

Or, it’s about the moves, the flexibility, while riding a wave on a

longboard.

Whatever the reason may be, the original longboard style is still the one

preferred by many surfers.

“It’s a lot more graceful,” said longtime longboarder Al Lewis. “It’s the

traditional roots of the sport. Besides, it’s easier and we’re not

getting any younger.”

Lewis, who runs a surf shop in Wales, has been surfing for almost two

decades. He and a group of friends make an annual pilgrimage from the

United Kingdom to Newport Beach.

It is their way of paying homage to the place they consider the

birthplace of longboarding.

“This is like Mecca to us,” said Frankie Schuneman, also from Wales and

one of Lewis’ business partners and surfing buddies.

Longboards, which originated in Hawaii and were brought to the California

coast in the early 20th century, are a quintessential symbol of the

surfer. They range from 9 to 11 feet, and usually have rounded noses.

Shortboards became popular in the 1960s as technological advances allowed

surfboard manufacturers to streamline the designs. With a smaller board

and a pointed nose, a seasoned surfer can aggressively and quickly slash

around on the waves.

But there’s nothing like an original. Many longtime surfers never gave up

longboards, and beginners are learning that the length makes it easier to

stay on top of a wave.

Lewis and Schuneman, who were recently at Blackie’s Beach, said

longboarding is the only way to surf. Shortboarders are aggressive, where

as longboarders are relaxed, they said.

Also at Blackie’s, Erin Varnado, who one month ago bought a longboard,

sat on the sand watching a small army of surfers on the 4-foot swells.

There was not a shortboard in sight.

“I haven’t tried a shortboard, yet,” said the petite 19-year-old. “I

heard it’s harder and I’m just learning. I have to wait for the waves to

calm down -- they’re like, bigger than I am.”

The longboards are ideal for beginners, said Trent Armstrong, an

assistant manager at Becker’s Surfboards, a Corona del Mar store where

longboards are the specialty.

The length makes it easier to catch a wave, Armstrong explained. Many

surfers also like the laid-back attitude associated with the longboard.

“It’s low-key, Waikiki,” said Armstrong, who actually favors surfing on a

shortboard.

And in the hands of a professional, the 9-foot floaters can be more

sensational than shortboards. Armstrong admitted, though, there is a bit

of rivalry between the two camps.

Shortboarders are stereotyped as young punks who might steal another

surfer’s wave. Longboarders are often thought of as slow and in the way

of speedier surfers.

But Armstrong said there really doesn’t have to be a rift -- longboarding

is for everybody.

“There’s really no specific age group for it,” he said. “It’s for

everybody from 10 to 70, little kids to grandpas and everybody in

between.”