Hello Charissa and Todd,

I want to thank you both. I received the surfboard Friday, October 5th, as scheduled and could not be happier. When I opened the box and saw such a fine work of art, dedicated to my late brother, it literally brought tears to my eyes.

It also arrived just in time for a great weekend swell, with clean waves in the chest to head high range. As you might expect my anticipation and excitement to try this board was at an all time high. When I paddled out, the board floated me well, and when I took off on my first ride, I could not believe how great it responded and how fast it went.

I thought for a moment,

is this a surfboard I’m riding,

or a magic carpet!

I can’t say enough about how pleased I am with the whole experience. Beginning with the discussion with Todd talking about what I was looking for in a surfboard, to the nice, comfortable correspondences with Charissa whom, kept me informed through the whole process. It was everything I could have hoped for and more.

Todd really listened to what I was requesting

and truly delivered it.

I’m sure you’ve heard this before,

but Todd, you are definitely a master of your craft!

Charissa it was a pleasure speaking with you through the e-mails. Your sincerity and warmth was obvious. Thank you so much once again,

for me this surfboard is, as they say “priceless!”

Sincerely,

Ken Hacker, New York
Custom Proxy Epoxy Monsta/SR-71 “The Captain”
7’6″ x 21″ x 3″ rounded squash tail

Hey Todd. Thanks for the input. It really helped me. Here is what I’m thinking. I guess I should stay to the more specifically designed guns for the bigger stuff. Here’s my reasoning for saying that and what I’m trying to put together.

I have a 6’0″ El Pavote.

6’2″ G4E.

6’2″ SR-71.6’4″ Blackbird.

All by the way are out of this world.

I will never buy from anyone else,

you got me dialed in to a T.

So my El Pavote as I see it has my smaller wave base covered, the G4E and Blackbird has evrything above that , and the SR-71 is for the Bread and Butter.

By the way I was in Puerto with that board

and it was solid 8-10 ft and

me and that board were one from the first wave.

Please keep that one on file for sure.

Me and my wife travel frequently and I have family in Hawaii so I would like to have some boards built for over there and Indo.

Pretty much whereever we go I want to have something I can go to.That said, I think I have my shortboard side of it all complete for the most part. My Blackbird being 6’4″ is the biggest out of your boards. And going to different places especially Hawaii I am going to need bigger boards, Bottom Line.

So I will need an Ante Up

I’m thinking how Tamayo had his set up.

Size I will leave to you. I might even need two. One bigger than the other. Im thinking 6’7″ and one maybe 6’10″. I will need one for when Pipe starts showing its colors, here I’m thinking Pipecleaner, maybe 7’2″ish. And one for big sunset/Pipe for here I was leaning twards the West Peak, maybe 7’10″-8’4.

And finally the gnarly Big Daddy for Da Bay/Mavs…

here goes back to the one you have on your showroom wall, the 10’2″.If you think that particular board would suit me I forget the width and thickness of it but atleast 3 plus inches thick for sure. In otherwords I dont want to big of a gap in the size’s of boards I have. If the surfs there then I wanna be prepared and I wanna do it on one of your boards. I like what you stand for and I think your the best shaper around so thats where Im putting my money. And these boards, call me particular but I like my boards to be as strong as possible(Super Duty) if you will.

Boards arent cheap and I want not only longevity with them but durability. Albeit I understand if I put it in the wrong place that not even triple 6oz. e glass will hold it intact. But you get where Im coming from.So In a nutshell that is what I’m looking to accomplish with the remainder of my quiver. Tell me what you think and I hope that helps you into understanding what Im trying to do. All in all I just want the board I need for when the time arises to be there in my quest for the ultimate ride. So we could even try out like SR-71/AnteUp or things like that. Or even take from what you have done with the Monsta(Lower entry and increased numbers off the tail) into all of them. Anyway dont wanna take anymorer of your time but let me know whaen you get around to it. Have a blessed day.

Hayden

Once again Todd,

just when I thought it couldn’t

get any better and this thing

arrives at my door!

Thanks for your attention to detail,

i’m totally stoked.

Been out five or six times so far and it rips,

thank god we’re gettin a bit of swell now, this winter has been nigh on non existent, went nearly a month without gettin in the water! unheard of over here!

Christy and I will send a few pics over for your blog shortly, thanks again and keep doin’ what your doin, your a true artist!

Tell Charissa I said hi,

she’s so slick on the business end of things!

All the best and slainte,

Niall, Northern Ireland
ht: 5’11″  wt: 155 lb  age: 39

Custom Proxy Epoxy SR-71: 5’11″ x 18 1/4″ x 2 3/16″
with Carbon-Hinged Flex Tail

Hey Todd
Had a great trip in Bali, I hit the reef but protected my boards at all costs.
Just wanted to drop a note to you and thanks for the great boards,

this board the g4e works great in the small and medium stuff.

It turns on a dime and picks up speed instantly.

My latest SR71 is insane, I road it on the overhead plus days and it held really well,

again the main focus of my boards is that they have all

maintained speed thru turns and the flat sections.

I am really stoked on all my boards and will be in soon to order up another.

Stoked on your website, great job!
Laters Cuz
Lokey
Tony Streicher, Malibu, CA

Surfing Pitas last sunday on the SR71,

I could not believe the acceleration from that board.

Just one push and it was  flying.

Fast, loose, and easy to ride.

All this extra speed led to me blasting hits

much harder than usual.

Throwing out turns on edge and pulling the board back under me felt effortless.

I was shocked at the way I was surfing this board.

I felt like someone much better

and that so much more was now possible.

Jeff Myron, Mar Vista, CA
Custom Flexible Epoxy SR-71: 6’4″ x 18 3/4″ x 2 1/4″ Rounded Squash/Roundpin (3 years old)

SUMMER LOVE

Freedom Artists Surf Series Contest #3 brings LA surf community to County Line

August 3, 2009  By: Brandon Richards  Photos: Steve Reyes and Brandon Richards

The 3rd contest of the Freedom Artists Surf Series took place earlier this month at County Line. Once again, the contest filled up fast as surfers from all around the state came out to show their support for the grassroots surf contest series. The whole vibe on the beach has been all about community, family, and friends.

Custom 6′0″ x 18 1/4″ x 2 3/16″ SR-71

Hawaiian Forrest Troxell had these Frontside Air Grab Reverses on Lock. He finished fourth in the Pro Finals and won every heat up until then.

Hey Todd,

I am still looking really forward to my new G.4E that will soon be done.

I just wanted to show you these pictures of me at that spot the finger i told you about.

I’m on the SR-71 in all these pics.

The board works great at

this place.

Robbie Whitehead,16, So Cal

Custom Proxy Epoxy SR-71
5’10″ x 18″ x 2 1/8″ rounded squash tail

Board is still Awesome!!

Nothing like it in my quiver.

Makes big waves surfable on a short board.
Just got back, super big & fun here in Newport with overhead sets.

Leaving for Fiji in a week then traveling to Cabo at the end of the month…

Hope all is well with you and family..

Brian McCarthy

Custom Proxy Epoxy Titanium Series Upgrade Options
1.0: Kevlar Compression Patch &
Option 2.0: Carbon-Hinged Flex Tail
SR71 rounded squash tail 6′4″ x 18 7/8″ x 2 3/8″

Hey Todd, its been a while since we talked and since then I’ve got some magic waves on the SR-71. I’ve mostly been surfing Pismo, shell Beach and Morro Bay, but occasionally I’ve been able to make it out to Jalama but the swell has been pretty insignificant over the summer.

Overall I’ve got some great waves on the board and its really improved my surfing.

I’ve been looking at the Blackbird lately and I’ve wanted

another board in my quiver that would let me boost out of sections and really tear up the waves.

I was wondering if I could get an estimate on a custom 5’8 Blackbird with some sort of paint job that I’m not sure about yet. I’m looking forward to hearing from you again,

and thanks again for the sick SR-71.

-Robbie, Santa Maria, CA
Proxy Epoxy construction: SR-71
5’10″ x 18″ x 2 1/8″ rounded squash tail

Todd & Charissa:

I am soo stoked you guys had a great time in Bali!  We need to organize and go together or at least hook up next time.

Indo is insane – nothing compares, I’m ruined as far as surf trips go!

Also, have you found it hard to get fired up since you’ve been back?!

The Mentawaii Islands are unreal!  I see what all the fuss is about now.  Surfing here in California so long, it took a session to get used to all the open ocean water moving when the swell was bigger, but I soon adapted.

We surfed so many world class breaks:  Kandui, NoKanduis, Rifles, Hideaways, Ebay, Beng Bengs, A Frames, and the break right out front 4 Bobs.

It was consistently head high to overhead nearly everyday and we had only one day that was flat by Indonesian standards – still was chest high on the sets that flat day.

We were so fortunate to be booked the same week as a group of top pros, the experience of surfing, hanging out and talking shop with these guys was priceless.  It was pretty common to be eating lunch, having a beer or getting boated to surf with the likes of Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, Shane Dorian, Ross Williams, Martin Potter or Kai Garcia.  Kai took me a couple of times on the back of the jet ski to check Kandui!  I played cards with Martin Potter (Martin Potter!) and just hung out and talked w/ the rest of the pros like we knew each other for years.  ESPN2 and Transworld Surf were filming every hiccup these guys did and we got to watch the footage each night over dinner.

Surfing the same waves and watching what these guys were doing 10 yards deeper than any mortal wanted anything to do with, over nearly dry coral, was a real eye opener.

I got cut so many times, I thought I was going to need to be airlifted to Oz more than once.  That’s the thing with a lot of these places!  The videos make it look so perfect, but what you can’t see from these videos is the dry coral or exposed rocks in front of the person taking off or when they are driving a barrel.  Speaking of that topic,

your epoxies must have kryptonite in them!  I snapped 3 leashes and lost both the SR71s to absolutely dry reef

(like 20 yards of it) and both boards suffered minor scratches that I just rubbed out and one minor spider crack.

Not one ding!!

Same thing happened to the Blackbird two days later at a different reef.  I was being clever trying to get one more snap too close to the end section and I was absolutely thrashed on the reef, bleeding everywhere (still have cuts!) and convinced the Blackbird was toast.  After a 20 minute swim around I went in to shore to pick it up off DRY reef and it only had the same type of scratches as the SR71s from a few days before.

Rubbed them out and the board is as good as new!  No one could believe these boards survived!  Everyone was impressed!!!

I’m stoked to hear of the design updates for the SR71 and the new Rascal II.  I spent a considerable time talking with Kelly and he is absolutely convinced that going shorter is the new way to go.  I am thinking of bringing down the 6.0 to a 5.11 or 5.10, but thickening it up to like 2 3/8 maybe even a 2.5 so I won’t lose any paddling foam.  The Rascal II looks like a guaranteed winner here in grovelling type waves.  What do you think of a 5.8 x 11.75 x 19 x 14.75, 2.5 moon tail.

I hope all is well with you both!

Take care and God bless!

Paul Pence, Cardiff, CA

Proxy custom epoxy SR-71: 6’4″ x 18 1/4″ x 2 1/4
Proxy custom epoxy SR-71: 6’1″ x 18 1/2″ x 2 3/16″
Proxy custom epoxy Blackbird: 6’0″ x 11.25″ x 18/5″ x 14″ x 2 3/16″