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Mahalo, P.S. On a more serious note, our thoughts and well-wishes go out to our fellow San Diegans, as well as our neighbors to the north in L.A. & Orange County, who have been impacted by the wildfires that still rage around Southern California. It is our hope that you and your families are safe and sound and that this situation can get under control as quickly as possible. If you'd like to make a donation to the Red Cross to assist with the fire relief effort, you can do so here.
Since first working with a planer in 1964, your trail through life has been, if I may say, the stuff of legend. For those of our readers who aren't as familiar with your history, could you give us a brief overview of how your career started and where it led you as a shaper? "I first learned to surf in Waikiki when legendary beach boy Rabbit Kekai taught me at age 10. By the time I was 12, I was hooked on surfing. One day I walked into the Bohemian Surf Properties factory (which was the old Hawaii Velzy shop), and was intoxicated with the smell of resin. I knew then and there, that I wanted to learn to work on surfboards! I started to fix boards at 12 years old and shaped my first board at 13, which was a stripped-down Takayama/Velzy with curved outboard stringers. I tried to shape it with an oscillating sander and couldn't figure out why the stringer stayed harder than the foam! The best part was when I went to glass it, I didn't know you were supposed to unwind the fiberglass rope to lay the fin up and couldn't figure out why the rope wouldn't go clear next to the fin! Talk about a babe in the woods! Basically by trial and error and watching both Dick Brewer thru the back door of the old Surfboards Hawaii shop in Haleiwa and Mickey Lake at the Inter-Island Surf Shop in Honolulu, I learned enough to shape my first "real" board at 14. I made a board for Dennis Pang (who is now a world class shaper on the North Shore), and while trying to even up the cuts it came out at about 2 1/2" thick. This was thin at the time, but for 98 lb. Dennis it was perfect! Around that time I got a job in the repair shop at Surf Line Hawaii and we did all the repairs for the Hobie shop as well, so at a very early age, I learned the art of repair, glassing and by default, shaping. I worked my way thru high school at Surf Line until I was 18." Your experience in the art of board creation is extensive to say the least. What advice would you give to those of our readers who are aspiring to follow in your footsteps as a shaper?
The disappearance of Clark Foam as the main provider of surfboard blanks as well as the adoption of new technology by shapers the world over has definitely shaken up the process of making a surfboard. Do you feel this new wave of board creation has had a negative effect on the art of shaping, or does it mark the beginning of a new golden age of sorts? "It's actually a blessing in disguise. We were working with 40 year old technology and it's so refreshing to see a whole plethora of new materials being tried. There will always be a need for R & D (research and development) and I think what's nice about the Clark demise is it's shaken out the peripheral guys and left the hard core guys there to develop the next generation of designs. We're always going to need guys to keep progressing the contemporary surfboard and what is "deemed" as progressive or contemporary surfing, so I think the designer and the guy who is working with the "pros" is always going to have a place. I mean think about it, how many guys do you know who are making snowboards in their backyard? We are actually an amazing "cottage" industry that has prevailed much longer than we should have!" You were instrumental in the creation of International Professional Surfing (IPS), the predecessor of today's Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). When you were dreaming up IPS with Fred Hemmings, did you ever think professional surfing would achieve its current status as a world-wide phenomenon? "In 1969, Fred Hemmings wrote an essay for SURFER that was titled: "Pro Surfing is White." Basically he said the pro movement was coming and that it would be good for surfing. Someone else wrote that is was "Gray" and was wishy-washy on it, and someone else wrote that it was "Black," which was basically a put-down on commercialization. EVERY THING that Fred predicted in 1969 has come to pass in the modern era! I'm just surprised it took as long as it did. I thought that pro surfing would be on a scale with pro tennis by the early to mid 80's and it took a decade longer than that! We wanted to explain to the world that surfers were "legitimate" sportsmen and not a bunch of druggy bums - that was the impression in the 70's! We felt that a select few of the elite competitors could guide the sport and showcase surfing to the rest of the world, allowing a "lifestyle" endeavor to actually be considered a "sport". When you look at all the other off-shoot "extreme" sports (skateboarding, snowboarding, kite boarding, etc), surfing is the "grand-daddy" that is still true to its roots yet sets the pace for all these other sports to follow. Because of that, more and more people have wanted to experience it and that has contributed to its growth as a world-wide phenomenon." There are some who feel that the ASP tour has been detrimental to surfing's core values of self-expression and rejection of commercialism in favor of personal growth and fulfillment. How do you answer those that feel the ASP has had a negative effect on the "soul" of surfing?
The turnout for your Hawaiian Vintage Surf Auction was incredible this year. Were you surprised at how many people came out for an event that primarily showcased the top surfers and shapers of yesteryear? "This was my fourth biennial auction, so we have done one in 2001, 2003 and 2005. After three previous auctions, I had kind of figured out what works, what the collectors were looking for and what it would take to make it a very successful auction. We held it online, we had overseas bidders and we had probably the best line up of collectables ever gathered in one place. All that along with great attendance, icon attendees and savvy promotion combined to make it a great gathering. It exceeded my expectations, but in retrospect, had I known then what I know now, we actually could have done even better! What has happened is that surf collectables (the good ones, not the schlock or cheap sale used stuff) have moved into a new realm of valuation and credibility. It's kind of like going to a Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction and seeing the best buyers looking for the best items. Throw in a social gathering of the tribe and all the elements come together to make for a special happening. So, done right, not only do you see great results, but you see our history being preserved, presented and ultimately appreciated by those who want to showcase it for future generations to appreciate!" What are your plans for the future of the auction? "We're looking at taking it up a notch for 2009. It takes me about two years to source the items, dial them in for great presentation and then ensure we have what will be considered a valuable contribution to the sport, the art and what surfing truly represents. So ask me a year from now how we're doing and hopefully I'll give you a positive update!" Last issue we asked a few of our friends from the ASR trade show about the art that decorates their homes and offices. So, how 'bout it? What's hanging on the walls of the Rarick household? "Ha ha! That one I need to let my wife answer! Actually, there is very little "surf" stuff in my living room or house. My wife feels I do that day in and day out, so she reserves the house for "family." I've got some really nice "island" art, but not much surf stuff in my house. My shaping room, however, is a "Wall of Fame" of old labels from boards I have restored. I also have personal boards from Dewey, Diff, Greg Noll, Rich Harbour, Alan Byrne, Mark Richards, Lopez, Parmenter, McTavish and a host of other shapers who I have had make boards for me. My office has mementos from Lance Carson, Fred Hemmings, Greg Noll, Steve Bigler, Nat Young, Skip Frye, Donald Takayama and a wide variety of other surfers and shapers who I have interacted with over the years. Probably one of the oddest things is my collection of Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Randy! Anything else you'd like to say to our readers before we let you go? "Hope you've enjoyed a glimpse into my life and I just hope all the readers have as good of life as I enjoy!"
“Surfing, It's like the mafia; once you're in, you're in.
There's no getting out .” --Kelly Slater
 Have an idea for an article? Need to tell us about something we missed or what we can do to improve? Email all questions, comments, critiques, etc. to info@waveridersgallery.net. If you’d like to subscribe a friend, go here.
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