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.. name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 5.0" .. name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.document· http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" Larry Bertlemann

Larry Bertlemann

Whether you're a shortboarder or a longboarder, a well-traveled pro or a neighborhood cruiser, Larry Bertlemann had something to do with it. Born on the big island of Hawaii in Hilo, 1955, Larry quickly became one of biggest influences on the sport of surfing. At age 11, Larry moved to Oahu with his mother and soon took to the waters off Queens where he rented a longboard and caught his first wave. Later, Larry remembers watching the big blue Ala Moana bowls and the lines the longboards would draw across them and visualized making them tighter. So when Larry broke his 9' 6'', he tried glassing the fin from the rear of the board to the front half. "I was having trouble getting the fin to adhere to the front half of the board and some guy walked up to me and showed me how to do it right. That guy turned out to be Donald Takayama." From then on, Larry was rewriting what could be done o n a surfboard. He credits this in large to Ben Aipa who started wor king with Larry in the shaping room putting out what would be the shorter, wider, faster twin fins, swallow tails and stinger designs that allowed him the speed and freedom of movement. This would forever change the way surfboards were ridden and Bertlemann became the most well-paid and most popular surfer of the '70s. During the '80s, at the height of the thruster shortboard movement, Larry and good friend Takayama, of Hawaiian Pro Designs in Oceanside, helped revive Bertlemann's twin fin model which is still on the market to this day and is highly sought after by collectors and riders alike. Larry continues to hone his craft of surfboard design today. We caught up with "the Rubberman" over at R&D Surf in Rockledge where he and local legend Ricky Carroll are working to put out his twin fin designs as well as the retro shortboards,
swallowtail thrusters and a four fin model here on the east coast. We only got a few questions in, so if you think of anything you want to ask, ask him yourself at [email protected]
How old were you when you shaped your first board?
19.

Who influenced you the most in your shaping career?
Ben Aipa.

With the introduction of the epoxy boards being manufactured overseas, do you think the art of shaping surfboards is in jeopardy?
Yes. These guys that are doing it on computers nowadays are cutting all the corners. The guys that are still shaping will always shape, but the chances for a new generation of real craftsmen will narrow. I believe there will always be a market for the artistry that goes into a hand-built surfboard.

What was the last board you shaped?
A 9' 0'' longboard.

What is your favorite aspect of shaping?
Really putting yourself into it. Playing with curves and outlines and sculpting a board that you will know exactly how it's going to ride.

What's been the most positive thing to happen to the sport of surfing in the last 25 years? It's easier to make a living. What about the most negative?
Drugs and alcohol.

Who was the most influential surfer of your generation?
(Laughing) I don't know...you're asking the wrong guy. (More laughing) O.K., dumb question.

Where was your last surf trip?
Wiakiki, Queens and Ala Moana.

Do you have a favorite board?
My 6' 2'' swallow tail single fin.

Where's your favorite surf spot?
Anywhere with juice that's breaking good.

What music do you play in the shaping room?
Putumayo. It's the best. Check it out.

What'd you have for lunch today?
Portuguese sausage, eggs and rice. Gotta have rice. I travel with my rice cooker.

Thanks for your time Mr. Bertlemann.
No sweat, see you at the tradeshow.
Click here to read interviews from other shapers
© 2007 The Beachside Resident
Comments, questions, concerns? click here Silverfish Longboarding - The Longboard Skateboarding Community General Longboard Discussion Longboarding Resources & Q/A33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravityLongboarding Resources & Q/A Get or give friendly, patient answers to, "Which board should I get?", "How do I stop?" or "What's wedging and how do I do it?"Search ForumsAdvanced SearchGo to Page... Page 1 of 2 1 2View First Unread Thread Tools Search this Thread Display ModesYesterday, 09:10 PM #1hilikus421 Stoked! Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 19 Posts: 19 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity what do u guys think about the 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity? http://www.gravityboard.com/pages/gs...ards/lb33.html the info doesnt really give me anything useful. just wanted a second opinion on this board. i mostly wanna do carving/cruising. is this board really wide? 9"? and would this be a good campus cruiser? http://www.skatesonhaight.com/Sector...-p/s99czm1.htm this little board caught my eye, thought itd be a fun little board. any thoughts on this one?hilikus421 View Public ProfileSend a private message to hilikus421Find More Posts by hilikus421Yesterday, 09:25 PM #2maythefetusyousavebegay Fresh Fish Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ft. Lauderdale - Gainesville Posts: 47 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity same person posting on skimonline right?maythefetusyousavebegay View Public ProfileSend a private message to maythefetusyousavebegayFind More Posts by maythefetusyousavebegayYesterday, 09:33 PM #3hilikus421 Stoked! Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 19 Posts: 19 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity no im not that person...anyways ya so any thoughts on these 2 boards?hilikus421 View Public ProfileSend a private message to hilikus421Find More Posts by hilikus421Yesterday, 09:49 PM #4sketch Addicted Cruiser Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 201 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity i daily commute on mine all the time.. great size, nice and low, fun skurffy board. for some reason this board is super fun to ride barefoot... love itsketch View Public ProfileSend a private message to sketchFind More Posts by sketchYesterday, 09:54 PM #5hilikus421 Stoked! Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 19 Posts: 19 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity Quote: Originally Posted by sketch i daily commute on mine all the time.. great size, nice and low, fun skurffy board. for some reason this board is super fun to ride barefoot... love ittahsnk, are you talking about the larry bertlemann or the sector 9?hilikus421 View Public ProfileSend a private message to hilikus421Find More Posts by hilikus421Yesterday, 10:07 PM #6mksuen Fresh Fish Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: UCSD Age: 18 Posts: 49 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity the lb 33 was my first board, it doesnt get as much love now that i got my vanguard but its still a nice board. still pretty turny with the tracker 149 darts, decent carve, wide stable board, good for getting around campus. i got the orange 84a wheels cuz they matched the graphic but i shoulda gone with something softer, its smaller with smaller wheels so its not the best for cruising cuz u hafta push it more than a bigger board with larger wheels but its an easy push. i still think its a good board, try to get ur hands on one and test it out, i also recommend the bruce logan model, its pretty similar with just a lil different flair __________________ 44" Lush Bahari - Holey's - 70mm/78a Lush Magmas - Abec7 Lush Nightriders 39" Landyachtz Dropwedge - Crail's(JimZ) - 77mm/78a Landyachtz Hawgs - Bones Swiss Ceramics 38" Loaded Vanguard - RII's - 76mm/75a Abec11 Gumballs - Bones Reds 33" Gravity LB - Tracker Darts 149mm - 65mm/84a Gravity Street G - Abec5 Gravity G-seriesmksuen View Public ProfileSend a private message to mksuenFind More Posts by mksuenYesterday, 10:11 PM #7Converse Longskateaholic Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Texas/Florida Age: 20 Posts: 114 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity Own the LB. Love the LB. __________________ "I just don't want to die without a few scars..."Converse View Public ProfileSend a private message to ConverseFind More Posts by ConverseYesterday, 10:40 PM #8hilikus421 Stoked! Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 19 Posts: 19 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity would anyone go for the sector 9? which would be a better buy? im leaning towards the bertlemann. its not that much bigger than the s9 is it?hilikus421 View Public ProfileSend a private message to hilikus421Find More Posts by hilikus421Yesterday, 10:55 PM #9pirateswin I Support The Fish Addicted Cruiser Tournaments Won: 1 Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 22 Posts: 1,072 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity juuuust buy one. go with your gut or flip a coin. theyre both good! __________________ You are not your GPA.pirateswin View Public ProfileSend a private message to pirateswinFind More Posts by pirateswinToday, 12:11 AM #10sketch Addicted Cruiser Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 201 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity i was refering to the bertalmann, sorry.sketch View Public ProfileSend a private message to sketchFind More Posts by sketchToday, 07:37 AM #11hilikus421 Stoked! Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 19 Posts: 19 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity sweet i think im gonna go with the LB. is it too big to bring into class?hilikus421 View Public ProfileSend a private message to hilikus421Find More Posts by hilikus421Today, 08:40 AM #12strtsk8er1080 Fresh Fish Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 17 Posts: 39 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity my friend has the LB and i absolutely love it it carves nicely and i love the tail because you can mess around with it so much i agree with the person who said it has a nice skurfy feel its about the size of a street deck except a bit wider, so think about that if you want something to carry into classstrtsk8er1080 View Public ProfileSend a private message to strtsk8er1080Find More Posts by strtsk8er1080Today, 09:06 AM #13Converse Longskateaholic Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Texas/Florida Age: 20 Posts: 114 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity I can carry it by the front trucks without it dragging on the ground. Definitely small enough for class __________________ "I just don't want to die without a few scars..."Converse View Public ProfileSend a private message to ConverseFind More Posts by ConverseToday, 09:11 AM #14VAlongboarder13 Addicted Cruiser Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Vienna virginia Age: 15 Posts: 491 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity Definetly get the bertlemann.. its such a fun board. __________________ Support your local shop.www.ecboardco.comVAlongboarder13 View Public ProfileSend a private message to VAlongboarder13Find More Posts by VAlongboarder13Today, 11:26 AM #15hnefrdo Fresh Fish Join Date: Feb 2007 Age: 21 Posts: 30 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity Quote: Originally Posted by Converse I can carry it by the front trucks without it dragging on the ground. Definitely small enough for classDon't forget to keep in mind how tall you are when you are choosing a board that you can carry like this.hnefrdo View Public ProfileSend a private message to hnefrdoFind More Posts by hnefrdoToday, 12:27 PM #16Converse Longskateaholic Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Texas/Florida Age: 20 Posts: 114 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity Yeah, I meant to write that. I'm about 6'1 __________________ "I just don't want to die without a few scars..."Converse View Public ProfileSend a private message to ConverseFind More Posts by ConverseToday, 06:34 PM #17hilikus421 Stoked! Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 19 Posts: 19 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity im about 5'6 or 5'7....i think im going to stick with the LB. although ive seeen some people shred on a mini like the s9 pipe 76hilikus421 View Public ProfileSend a private message to hilikus421Find More Posts by hilikus421Today, 06:55 PM #18drew POSSESSED TO SKATE Concrete Kahuna Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ft. Lickherdale, FL Posts: 4,460 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity That's a fun little board, I've ridden it. __________________ It's all about the groovedrew View Public ProfileSend a private message to drewFind More Posts by drewToday, 07:58 PM #19leadfoot BEATNIK BONEHEAD I Support The Fish Addicted Cruiser Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Adelaide- AUSTRALIA Straight outa Brompton Age: 40 Posts: 1,450 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity This one is my 32 inch Buttons Giant Slalom. Its a great little board. Turns fast, really portable. Longer wheelbase than the Bertleman. What about that ?? __________________ Quote: Originally Posted by Directive0 I'm so stoked my stokey stoke stokist the stokism and stokerly stoked the STOKE!!! Seamonkey in a Bikini. Click Here.leadfoot View Public ProfileSend a private message to leadfootVisit leadfoot's homepage!Find More Posts by leadfootToday, 08:14 PM #20hilikus421 Stoked! Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 19 Posts: 19 Re: 33" LARRY BERTLEMANN MODEL from gravity im digging that one, only an inch less then the LB. since u say that one is portable the LB is pretty portable too then right? how much of a difference does the wheelbase make in these 2 boards? the LB and the buttons?hilikus421 View Public ProfileSend a private message to hilikus421Find More Posts by hilikus421 Page 1 of 2 1 2Forum Jump« Previous Thread | Next Thread »Thread Tools Show Printable VersionEmail this PageDisplay Modes Linear ModeSwitch to Hybrid ModeSwitch to Threaded ModeSearch this ThreadAdvanced SearchRate This Thread You have already rated this thread

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