Shaping My Soft Top into a Fiberglass Surfboard & Surfing it!

This video is a straight up dream come true for me. The world's first ever soft top turned fiberglass surfboard! I contacted Brian Wynn about 3 years ago to pitch this idea, it took until now for us to find the time, but shaping my signature soft top into a fiberglass surfboard is one of the coolest things I've ever done. The coolest thing about surfing is that there are seemingly no limits to the creativity that you can put into it. The more of a creative approach I put into my surfing & vlog videos it seems the more I personally get out of this experience. Massive thanks to Brian Wynn for the help on this epic project! Thanks for the stoke NUB NATION!! - Ben

Music in this VLOG:

Allergy Season
Guustavv

Shuffled Up
Ballpoint

Possum' Popcorn
Guustavv

Lost Now Found
Guustavv

Move Your Hands
Dusty Decks

Booked
Dylan Sitts

Can't Chill
Dylan Sitts

Centaurus
Sarah, the Illstrumentalist

Gemini Pollux
Sarah, the Illstrumentalist

Perdula
Justnormal

[stevencole]

I was stationed in Gtmo Cuba when I was in the Navy and the only board to buy was a soft bottom and top board that I bought and was extremely slow . There were a handful of fiberglass boards on the base that dependent kids occupied . I was able to get a beat up fiberglass board that was on its last leg . I bought some resin, cloth and red pigment and reglassed the board not knowing anything on how to do ( no youtube in the early 80s ). I did ok but it was a bit heavy as I used allot of glass . It was buoyant and gave me the opportunity to gain some speed and control in the relatively inconsistent wind swell of the beaches on base. I gave the board to a kid to learn on when I left and it remain in Cuba .I was given my first dewey weber surfboard when I was stationed in buxton NC on hatteras where I learned how to surf and I got to pay it forward . This was the first and last time I did that( nasty job and I gained a lot of respect for board shapers ) . Well done Ben Gravy . Anything is possible if you put your mind to it

[brognarly]

Such a cool idea! Dare we say a “novelty” board?!🤘🏻🤘🏻

[JayBayPEDALS]

No doubt one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Recycling at it's very best!!!

[briangagliana]

Brian Wynn's the best and a great guy for taking on a super difficult and time consuming rebuild like this. He could have built 10 boards from scratch with the same effort put into this one. 🤙 They all work...

[rgflm]

Ben you're crushing the Holiday content! This video is unique to the usual, thanks for a banger video while enjoying vacation 🍍I love the out there ideas like this. Mad props to Wynn for sharing his knowledge not only with you but with all nub nation.

[BEEFSTV]

Collectors item!! 1 of 1. Classic that board is having longest run ever!!

[BLACKGO]

When I was a kid living 150 miles from the beach but hooked on surfing, I made my own board. I took a foam board (about 5.5 ft. long) and I fiber-glassed it and added 3 hand carved wooden fins. It turned out pretty good for my first surfboard. The only problem was I didn't kno how to surf. When my family went to the beach for 2 weeks (Ocean City, Maryland), I did nothing but Kooking on my surfboard. I really didn't have a clue what I was doing. I got mad one day and smashed my surfboard and threw it in the trash (I was upset). But it was the first time I had every tried to surf, and I used my own home made board. Had I known how to surf at the time I would have worked for sure. How good? I don't know but it would have worked. It wasn't until years later that my friend and I put our money together and bought a new surfboard (about 5.5 ft long and a quad fin - popular at the time). I learned to surf in one day on that board. I was getting 50 yd. long rides just taking an angle down the wave and just holding the angle until the wave ended. I was smiling and so happy. I couldn't believe I was surfing (my dream). I did a lot of skateboarding on half pipes, parks, and the street so I think that really helped my balance in surfing. I also did a lot of body surfing that taught me how to catch waves over the years. Eventually, I moved to the beach after High School and I surfed everyday (no matter the conditions - rain, sleet, high winds, ripping current, etc). This was one of the best times of my life (becoming a local at the beach and getting good at surfing).

[Nebulation]

Been saying it for a bit, Ben should have a hard top pro model. I'd preorder.

[kylefranks]

“Novelty” boards wouldn’t be a bad idea

[iancrawford]

Duuuude🤙🤙 always wanted to see someone do this! Great vid!

[brentwalk]

Great vid! Cool to see the process of how a board get made/remade. So much work!

[DJ-nnvg]

I’ve never been on a board and just watch yours and Jamie’s vlogs. Can we get a Living the Dream counter? Psyching!!

[xisotopex]

its like getting back with an old girlfriend from highschool... still the same familiar ride but she learned some new tricks and does some things better

[ACBHR]

The time it took you to record this was worth it. Very entertaining (sort of educational too 😆). Thanks!

[shannonyoung]

That was mental!!! You were straight up sending it Gravy Train Style!!! Despite the cray-cray VAS conditions & keeping your injury in check! That was soooo... sick!!! (Legend) FTD!

[ianrobertgallagher]

Anyone else having perverse thoughts towards their kid's old Wavestorm?
Such a great video.

[yeahbuddy]

Man of his craft, surfing and vlogging. Love all the work and details you put into your videos! 🤙🏽

[kolbegreen]

That’s sick!! I want one of those so bad!! Honestly your my favorite surfer ever!

[frankmanresa]

Next first one! Brand new Foamie and glass it! Ben the board worked like a champ. That floater was insane.

[slashtrio]

Merry Christmas Ben and Jordan!
I got a black Ben gravy knit hat I have been rocking since Christmas Day!
For the dream!?

Ohh, where is the Subaru!?!? We bought a 2016 limited a few months ago. Solid car.