A Recent PWR piece by G inspired this column. G's column was about getting a new stick, whether off the rack, custom shaped, or a used board purchase. In fact G was contemplating his own upcoming new board.

This column is a touch less serious. G emailed inquiring about pix of boards in surf shops he might use in his column. Not having one available meant he got no help from the DogMan! But it stimulated this thought: "Gee I bet a batch o' boards in a surf shop would present some cool photo ops." And hence you get to read and view this column.

Was fun invading a local surf shop and snapping the shutter from lots of angles. Primary goal was to get some cool pix of boards for this column, but it stirred some thinking along the way. Why is it that surfers browsing PWR might find this interesting?

Remember when you were young during the holiday season? Remember the anticipation and excitement of new toys and presents? Remember Christmas shopping, sitting on Santa's lap and asking for all the cool stuff you wanted? Gazing at the merchandise in a well-stocked surf shop is much the same thing.

Mostly it's surfboards: long boards, short boards, hybrid boards, fish (G's current passion). Single fins, twinzers, bonzers, thrusters. But then there are accessories that tantalize: soft racks, hard racks, board socks, board bags, hoods, gloves, boots, stickers, magazines, videos, and most especially SEX WAX! My fav is quick humps. Don't we all really want quick humps?

And that doesn't even get into apparel: board shorts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, wet suits, rashies, the list goes on and on and on...

Do you like fast shiny cars? Does it stimulate you to see a long row of brand new sports cars lined along a dealer's lot? Do you like strolling from car to car, gazing at the instrument panel, projecting your right foot onto the accelerator and your right hand onto the gear shifter? Shopping at a surf shop can be similar for a surfer. In fact one of the surfers pictured in this column told me, "Gazing at surfboards is better than looking at sports cars!" Hey, I have to agree.

Surfboards are swoopy and sleek, shiny and sexy. Long graceful lines with subtle variations describe the template, the channels, the rails and the fins. Appreciating the differences is part of the attraction. How many of us delight in gripping our palms around the rail of a board, and thoughtfully running the hand along the rail from nose to tail. Do we really know what the hell we are doing? Does it really matter? It's all fun, and that's what counts.

New boards represent renewed dreams of waves, further possibilities of higher performance; a wave that was missed will now be ripped. Progressions, emulations, evolutions, revolutions, or just conspicuous consumption, it's still drool-worthy.

Like G, we look forward to acquiring a new board. If money wasn't involved, we'd probably get a new one each month. We'd build a new garage just to hold our ever-expanding quiver. And then we'd have to get a divorce since most spouses who do not surf are not gonna understand or tolerate such juvenile behavior. But it's all good. At least we can dream, can't we?

Check the guys in the photos for this column. Can't you just see the fantasies in their eyes? Can't you appreciate the far away look they share? Wouldn't you like a new stick... right now? One that catches every wave for which you paddle? One that turns on a dime yet holds a critical line? A magic board, a stick you could name "Wonder Boy?" I know I want one like that too!

CU Out There,

DogMan