3rd Coast Surfboards Now In Stock (pics)

Just in...our new batch of 3rd Coast Surfboards from the Bing & Jacobs Factory in California. I can't even say how stoked we are on these - superior design and craftsmanship, with our custom logo, at really reasonable prices. These things are so clean and look like they'll be nutty in the water.

We are in the height of our busy season in the Shop so I don't know how quickly we'll be able to get these on the website (the surfboards page needs updating badly as we have turned boards over multiple times, but time is short these days). Here is the list with prices...if you'd like more info, email us at info@thirdcoastsurfshop.com or call 269-932-4575.

Once they're gone, it'll be awhile before they're back in stock. Custom orders are available in any size or shape.

6'0 Quad Fish - $550
6'0 Twin Fish - $550
7'6 Funboard - $575
8'2 Mini Mal - $625
8'6 Mini Mal - $675
(2) 9'0 Longboards - $690
9'2 Longboard - $695
9'4 Longboard - $700
(2) 9'6 Longboards - $710
10'0 Longboard - $725

Here are a few pics to give you an idea of what they look like...

3rd Coast Logo

Quad Fish Deck

Quad Fish Tail

Quad Fish Bottom

Longboard Deck

Longboard Tail

Longboard Bottom

Made in USA

SUP Race in Chicago This Saturday

The details are finalized - we will be helping run an SUP race at North Ave. Beach in Chicago this coming Saturday, July 31. The first race starts at 9:00 CST and the top six qualifiers from each division (men's and women's - we're keeping it simple) will advance to the final race at 3:00 CST.

Registration is from 7:00 - 8:30 CST...come early to get parking. The $20 entry fee gets you a t-shirt, and all proceeds go to the Chicago chapter of the Surfrider Foundation!

This race is in conjunction with the Corona Light Wide Open Volleyball Tour stop in Chicago and is supported by our friends at Surftech.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTRY FORM AND MORE DETAILS

Surftech team rider and current women's world SUP
champion Candace Appleby in Chicago.

Skim Jam Pics

Here are some photos from our 5th Annual Skim Jam held a couple weeks ago. Special thanks to Chris Purcell for documenting the event.

Here are division winners...

Menehunes

1) Ethan
2) Katie Mann
3) Michael Pitts

Junior Men

1) Brandon Deniff
2) Jacob Bultema
3) Dane Gillen

Men

1) Logan Sabo
2) Brett Dane
3) Ben Tolle

Our second skimboarding contest of the summer is coming up on August 7th. Click here for details!

Some of the competitors. Say cheese!

Kevin Mann pop shuvit.

Dane Gillen air.

Brandon Deniff mute air.

Little Bump (pics)

We finally recieved a little bump on the South End yesterday. 2 1/2 weeks of not surfing tends to dry one's gills out, but a warm summer session with friends makes it worth the wait. We don't pull the camera out often (kinda tough to shoot while your buddies are surfing) but we got a few quick ones this time...

Pulled back view

Jack

Bernie

Ryan

Terry

Vee Dub (pic)

We're getting a kick out of these hand made VW models we brought in new this summer. They come in different sizes, and the quality shines...

Hot Water

Coast Watch is an excellent indicator of water temperatures in the Great Lakes, and with the hot summer we've had so far, I wasn't surprised to see a few 80+ degree readings off the coast of southwestern Michigan.

At the same time, offshore water north of Chicago is registering temps in the 40+ range - it's amazing how much they can vary. Upwelling is common in the Lakes, and when you have a hard offshore blow in it's not uncommon to see a 20+ degree temperature drop from one day to the next.

The one upside to this long, hot flat spell is that the water is going to feel damn nice the next time we get out to slide some waves...

Foam Slayer (vid)

If you haven't visited Korduroy.tv before, it is worth a visit for nug footage like this...

Sea Movies- Stranger than Friction from http://vimeo.com/apeel on Vimeo.

Globetrotting (pics)

Some folks are fortunate enough to be able to travel and see the world. Most of us do it to a certain extent, but only a lucky few (relatively) get to do it for extended periods of time.

Our friend Pat got to do it for awhile last year and has been sharing some photos. Here are a handful from a new batch he just sent...

Indonesia

Indonesian Wedding

Samoa

Samoan Beach

Japan

Wednesday (pics)

A few random photos from an average summer Wednesday at the Shop...

Demo and rental surf and SUP boards. Sooo organized.

Chris unpacking new SUPs.

Our new Shop van, baby.

Yep, it is the SRFMOBL!

Tree Of Life (pics)

Brad's new custom Bing 7'4 Q4 with a hand painted tree of life. Special thanks to the Bing crew and Chris Del Moro for your creative magic...

Rainy Day (pic)

Sometimes I think about moving to the ocean so I can surf every day. How realistic that is, or likely, I'm not sure...but I think about it. I was born in South Bend, Indiana, but could have just as easily been born in California. How would things have been different?

I learned how to surf on Lake Michigan and I am still surfing with the guys who taught me 12 years later. I now own a surf shop. I get to talk and think about surfing every day, but I don't get to surf every day. I am a surfer living in what most believe to be a surfless place.

My wife and I could sell all of our stuff and move to the small lot we have on the ocean. On another continent. I would be able to surf every day. But what would I be leaving behind?

Those things keep me here - including the surf. I may not get to surf every day, but when I do, it is often special. We travel to other places to surf, stay connected via friends and connections on the coasts, and surf our brains out when there are waves.

But I do think about it, especially when in the midst of a two week flat spell. Not surfing for two weeks can be hard...but, maybe the "grass is always greener"?

For now, we'll watch the maps and models for the next blip of swell, and hope that it happens. When it does, it can make waiting two weeks totally worth it. And suddenly, thoughts of moving to the coast to surf every day wash away with that last wave.

Shoot...we need waves.

Home, sweet home.

This way (pic)

Turn left for fun.

Innersection

Our friend Jeremy Rumas is a Lake surfer who travels to Indo every year to surf and shoot video. He recently edited some film shot of his friend Daniel Jones and entered it in the Innersection Online Surf Video Contest, and asked us if we could help spread the word. Gladly!

Watch his section at this link and rate it when you're done.

And, keep an eye out for Jeremy's surf film which will be coming down the road. He leaves for Indo on Monday...poor guy.

3rd Coast Surfboards

We are excited to announce that we're teaming up with our friends at Bing to have a batch of 3rd Coast boards made for our Shop. We're stoked because this gives us an oppurtunity to sell high quality, hand built surfboards, made by one of the oldest labels around and some of the finest craftsmen in the industry, at insane prices. We should have them in house soon with photos to follow. In the meantime, here's the logo our friend Captain Jack designed...

Honoring Wisconsin's Own - Tom Blake

Our friend Jon K posted this on our Forum and I thought it was pretty rad, so I'll share it here. How cool is it that one of the most influential surfers to have walked the earth is from northern Wisconsin? The questions remains...did he ever slide a freshwater wave?

____________________________________________________________________

"Tom Blakes home town, Washburn, Wisconsin, is having an every 5 year "Home Coming Festival" July 22nd - 25th. Last time Greg Isackson got take in the tunes from the band of Luke and Laddie (The Washburn Surf'n Duo) as they contributed to the celebration with a concert in the street! That is not the name of their band, just what I have come to consider them as I have had the priviledge of watching them shred the face of many Superior Waves over the last eight years. There is a load of fun activities scheduled over the Festival.

The most important point of interest, for all who's life has been changed by the harnessing of wave energy, occurs 3:00pm Friday at the Bayfield County Historical Museum. Lake Superior Surf Club will present a 1930's paddle board, in tribute of the contributions Washburn Native Tom Blake gave to water safety and the society of water loving individuals. This board was acquired and donated by a group who requested to stay anonymous. We are forever grateful for the group of fresh water wave surfers that made this happen! The board will be on display later this summer at the Washburn Museum in an exhibit in honor of Tom Blake. The festival will be a good time for family fun, rides, vendors and a parade on Saturday were we hope to have a 'beach theme float' put together by a few club members, and cruise Tom's hometown in style.

Consider making a cruise to Washburn, Wisconsin and help us celebrate the contributions Tom Blake shared with all who enjoy spending time in the waters of "The Church of the Open Sky."

Event Schedule

Tom Blake info:

http://files.legendarysurfers.com/surf/%20...%20lake.shtml

http://www.surfmuseum.org/html/tom_blake.html

http://www.surfline.com/surfing-a-to-z/%20...%20hotos_760/

http://www.surfmuseum.org/Tom%20Blake.htm"

More Noosa (pics)

Pat sent over a few photos from this past trip to Noosa. I'm still geeking over the swell...sooo good.

Will

Pat

Ryan

Summer Doldrums

We've had an incredible week of weather here which has been great for business. But, man, we need some surf. Some of the boys scored up north over the weekend and it looks like we may get a small bump late this week. In the meantime, perfect weather for the SUPs...

TCSS in Maxim

We just stumbled over this blurb about us in Maxim magazine . I believe this is the first time I've heard the term "freshwater shred vets" ever used...

"A crew of die-hard freshwater shred vets can teach you to tame gnarly three-foot windswells."

And, yes, our 3' windswell can get pretty gnarly.

From The Archives (pic)

Cobblestone left point in a land not too far away.

On It (pics)

When you live and surf on a lake, you learn to get on it when it's there. This is especially true come summer time, when we can go days or weeks without a surfable wave. With a little flexibility and determination, though, you can score little nug sessions way more often than most people might think. B-Rad and I popped down the road recently to score this waist high bump with light wind, full sun, and exactly two surfers in the water - he and I.

And, yes, that is Chicago in the background across the lake.

Jetty rights.

B-Rad and his tool of choice for the day - a 9'8 Bing Silver Spoon.