In February 1997 I moved to Aptos and started surfing at The Hook and Manresa Beach. My "quiver" consisted of an Infinity 6'2" and I had been in the water on only a handful of occasions in the previous six months. I was out of shape, no longer comfortable with my board, and in cold, unfamiliar waters. I was definitely looking for inspiration.

I was at The Hook one spring morning - struggling to say the least - when a guy paddled out on what looked like a mini longboard. The shape was gorgeous and he just flowed on it. That was enough for me. I went straight to Arrow Surfboards in Capitola and picked out my first hybrid - a green-striped 7'4". I immediately loved it, rode it for a couple of years, and then rode boards similar to it for a few more years. All the while becoming slightly more performance oriented with each new shape.

I have continued to see this guy in the water and he is always a standout. He displays a quiet reserve in the water. He rides everything from retro-fish to longboards, and rides them well. There is even a memory that I have kept with me of a day when I'd walked up the stairs to find him standing there with his dog. Little did he know that day I was riding the board that he had inspired. He told me that I rode the board well and asked to see its measurements on the bottom.

Over the years, I've learned a few things about him from overheard conversations; His first name; His profession; and that he shapes his own boards.

Let's jump ahead now to this summer. I was out again at The Hook on my CS 6'5", which is better suited to more powerful waves. It's small and crowded, and again I'm struggling against the conditions. Out paddles the same guy with a fish. He paddles out and just starts picking off waves, winding his way through the crowd. So smooth…

I'd never even surfed a fish before, but two hours later I found myself at FSC laying down $45 for a fish blank. In a way, this guy has been the signpost for every corner I've turned in surfing for the last six years.

I shaped that first fish and I loved it. However, it wasn't as pretty as I'd hoped and a little too thick for my liking. I shaped a second fish and have been riding it now for 2-3 weeks. I absolutely love everything about it, and it is by far my best creation. In fact, I was so proud of this one that I photographed it and put the pics up on a shaping website that I frequent.

Let's zip ahead again to today. This morning, I received an e-mail from a guy who compliments my board and describes it as "beautiful". He also asks me a few questions about glassing rates and about my logo. I assume he's even newer to this than I am and I respond graciously and offer what information I can. Anyway, a few more e-mails go back and forth and I've now discovered that he has shaped a couple hundred boards. I learn his first name, and that he lives in Santa Cruz. I don't know what it is, but I am so sure at this point that it is the guy from The Hook. Then, I ask him about his logo and he volunteers to send me a copy of it.

I downloaded the logo; A DEAD MATCH!

- Ryen Phillips