"the stoke"

post-work post-surf sunset

Montauk, NY

end of June

Last night I was watching "Step into Liquid", one of our favorite surf videos.  Throughout it they talk about the fun and thrill of riding a wave, the energy and the rush that is like no other, what they call "the stoke".  This morning we woke up and headed east to a spot where I knew we would find waves.  Sure enough we arrived to find our spot totally quiet, the first car in the nonexistent lot.  We walked over the dune to eye hefty lines of waist to chest-high waves coming in and went down to set up camp.  The next two hours was the most fun I've had in a long time.  It was the first time we had good sized surf in a little while and I had nothing else on the agenda for the day.  I relaxed and got into the rhythm of the sets as they rolled in.  I dropped into a few waves which were definitely the biggest I had surfed on this new board, the orange board, and it felt fantastic.  It is a sensation like no other, feeling the energy of the ocean and rising to your feet, dropping down the face of a wave to see that beautiful arc of water coming up to greet you, carving back and forth to enjoy every second of that ride.  And it doesn't matter if you are a pro or if you suck, how big the wave is, or where it is.  It's all about being in that moment and that pure bliss that takes over you.  Not about anybody or anything else, it's about being with yourself and loving that experience.  I needed that today, and am so thankful.  Eventually the lot would get filled up and so would the lineup of surfers in the water.  We retreated to a seafood feast on the Napeague stretch and then home to go about the rest of our day off.  Now evening-time I'm still thinking about a few of those waves, with their perfect slope and clean little barrels.  Still grinning ear to ear there is no question, totally stoked.

funny flub on my part (aka orange board update)

A few weeks back I received an email from Chris about the orange board, the sweet new surfboard I got this past summer. I assumed it was Chris, the guy who had sold me the board. Reading the email in haste I didn't realize that it was in fact a different Chris entirely, a stranger wondering about the board thinking he might want to get one of his own. I would, of course, make the realization but only after a reply laden with the funny, foolish assumptions that it was surf shop Chris I was writing to. Ha ha ha, ooops! In any event, here is my silly slip-up and an update on the new orange board.

Question:
Aloha Alex

Was wondering what are your thoughts on the Fineline board you got? Also what size are you? Thinking about picking up a Fineline mp local to me thanks

Chris

Answer:
Hey Chris,

Great to hear from you. The Fineline has been a total dream of a board. Like you said it's been great to make the most of the smaller days locally, definitely smooth planing and an easy wave catcher for sure. It went with us out to Montauk in September and I got to play with it in some bigger surf. Since I was raised on and mostly surfed thrusters my whole life the single fin and sidebites took me a little getting used to but I was instantly impressed at how it performed and how quickly I got used to it. This fall has been so busy work-wise I haven't gotten in the water much but I am psyched to take out the side bites and play with it as a just a single fin. In that respect it's really the versatility of the board that's been killer - I feel like I'm not going to get tired of it any time soon and that's awesome. Your recommendation was spot-on and Brian certainly makes a solid product. Even with the learning curve I don't think the deck has one pressure ding in it, so obviously a strong glass job to boot.

As far as size, I'm 5'7" or so and usually somewhere between 165-170. The full dimensions of the board are 6'3", 16 1/4" x 20 3/8" x 15 1/8", 2 3/4". Needless to say I'd recommend it to anyone out there.

Hope all is well with you and the shop. Have a great rest of the fall.
cheers,
Alex

and yeah, sorry Aloha Chris for the email that must have been perfectly confusing. hope you saw through my flub and decided to go for a Fineline regardless. And for you fellows here in the north Happy Fall Surf y'all, let's don the hoods and booties and kick it!
all the best, -aef

Happiness is a new 6'3" Fineline!

all pics the property of Mollusk Surf Shop or Alex Feleppa with all rights reserved

Back in May I was thinking about a getting a new board as a birthday present to myself. I had in my head the idea of getting a fish, a certain style of board that allows you to make the most of the mushy summer swells we can get hit with here in New York. I checked my local haunts out east and saw some beautiful boards but nothing quite spoke to me. Then I decided to check out Mollusk surf shop in Williamsburg. I knew about the shop and had heard that Chris was a great guy from fellow surfer and artist friends in Greenpoint (love Jodie Jacobson and Dave Melrose!) so one Sunday Krissy and I rolled down through Hipsterville to see what we could find. Sure enough Chris was there and we three had a great time talking about their killer spread of handcrafted boards in all shapes and sizes. I was psyched not only to find a local surf shop to support but even more-so to find one with solid products and a crew of smart guys with the right attitude. Ultimately I was transfixed by a board all waxed up and still salty from the previous days surf session so I had to ask. Chris enthusiastically pulled down his personal blue-green 6'3" egg made by Brian out at Fineline surfboards in California. I talked about the void in our quiver of boards I was trying to fill and without hesitation he nodded towards the mini egg as a major contender in his eyes. It wasn't the board I had pictured in my mind originally but learning about Fineline, their exqusitely crafted boards, and seeing the stoke in my eyes Chris had me sold pretty quickly.

I submitted the order and knowing it was the busiest time of year for shapers did my best to be patient. After a little communication glitch I learned today that the board was in so Krissy and I wasted no time to get back down to Brooklyn to find Chris and the rest of the gang. Sure enough the new arrival was everything I was hoping for and instantly upon seeing it in the flesh I was thrilled all over again. So here she is, the latest member of the Feleppa surf family, the orange board!
We opted for a single box fin and FCS sidebites. I wasn't sure before if the color orange I picked out was going to be too much, but with the transparent tint and sanded gloss finish it looks so killer and has just the right amount of pop.
And I don't know what it is or how to articulate it, but when you see your name there under the sturdy glass job and you sit back knowing this board is all about your specific size and weight, ah man, it's like Christmas morning every day of the year. To use one of my favorite words, custom, through and through.
And it really is the finer touches that went into this board that sets Fineline above a lot of other board makers out there that I checked out. The cedar stringer and reinforced tail, the way Brian shaved the rails to maximize the boards smooth flow and sweet rocker, I just can't wait to get this baby in the water.
Major props to Chris Gentile for turning me on to Fineline and taking great care of me as a customer. Thanks to Brian Hilbers and his crew out west for making such a fine creation that I intend to enjoy for many years to come. Thanks too to Zach at the shop for rocking my world and setting up this beast today complete with the 7.5" L-Flex fin 'cause I know I had him sweatin' there for a minute. If you are a local surfer Mollusk surf shop is near the water at the end of Metropolitan there in Williamsburg and it is definitely a place worth checking out. Always good to support your local surf shop. You guys are awesome and we will definitely see you again soon, either out in the lineup or when it's time to add another stick to the quiver. Cheers,

Woooo!