SurferMag Message Boards: AB3 East (NJ) post-event thread

Absolutely good times! So many sick boards. And great meeting all those guys. I'll have those pics my gf took up online tonight.

Sak and I woke up at the crack of dawn, loaded up the Cherokee and headed down to Harvey Cedars to find that the Jersey AB3 got blessed with light offshores and fun sized clean peaky waves. In the morning it was cloudy and foggy. It was really questionable what the weather was gonna be like, but in the end we couldn't have asked for a better day. By late morning the clouds passed and it was sunny and warm. The wind came onshore to make things choppy in the afternoon. Around the same time some groundswell started filling in with the morning windswell keeping it somewhat fun, but not nearly as good as the morning. I shoulda got in the water when Sak did cause he got the best of it, punting airs on the clean fun peaky slopes.

My favorite board of the day was the Zamora fish with the funky squared off swallow tail. I took this board out in the afternoon choppy groundswell. That thing had speed and hold like I couldn't believe. I'm probably a below average surfer but the way this board held on, but still at the same time felt loose enough to snap, made me feel like a better surfer. Definitely dig it. Also, was really impressed with DJ's new performance fish. Really looked like a sweet ride. Brian Wynn also had two sick bonzers, a bunch of crazy resin swirls and and fish with him. I took out a single fin with an insane resin swirl on it. It was the wrong conditions for the board in the afternoon, but felt like it would be super stylin' in the right surf.

I was a bit disappointed that the Griffin boards and the Mollusk shapers didn't make it to Jersey. They missed out on much better surf conditions and a bigger crowd of potential customers.

At the end of the day Marlin asked me about restaurants in the area because the west coast guys wanted some seafood at a good local spot. So, my gf and I took Ambrose, DJ, Marlin, Ian, the Resin X guys, and the guy who organized the AB3 East (Jon) down to Beach Haven for some eats and got to listen to them talk shop. Great guys and a lot of fun. We were all sunburnt and crispy because the sun had crept up on us out of the clouds. Being a chemist I got to talk to the Resin X guy about his product and it really sounds good. I might have to request it on my next board from Wynn. Despite their reluctance we forced Ian and my gf to try Buffalo Calamari. It didn't sound right, but tasted pretty damn good. Ambrose gave me some tips on how to chop up my Sportster. Can't wait to see the paint job JP does on his bike. Marlin hooked me up with an incredible 101 fins bamboo prototype Bonzer fin to try out. It looks absolutely sick and and I can't wait to get in my new MC bonzer. Thanks!

Afterwards they wanted to check out a certain popular surf spot on the south end of the island. It was the wrong swell direction for that spot so they decided to head north and get some in the evening glass off. They were planning on hitting it again this morning so I hope those left coasters got it good again in Jersey.

I can't wait to shape the Ice 9 blank I won and I saw plenty inspiration. The event was an all around success. I saw a lot of guys trying out boards and really getting to look at some new shapes. Great vibe. Hope we can do it again next year!

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