Its Chrismastime

Here we are celebrating the holidays, I didn't know I had so much spirit, its ok, I feel good for all that hard work. I built a couple of boards for some kids in Colorado, I built some boards for my best man in Carbondale, I built a board with an apprentice. Next up is to build two boards for the Vermont Open snowboard and music festival. Its a drys season so far in the Sierras, but then the magic there is that all it takes is one storm and its game on.

Last weekend was all time

I had to make a trip to the house in Placerville and to do work at on the studio. Driving out was eazy, no rain or snow until I hit eldorado hills east of Sacramento. By the time I got to placerville it was snowing good. We ended up with 4 inches of powdery snow.I decided to snurf the pitch at the house first and had a great time. In turn headed up to Sierra at Tahoe, read online the night before that one lift was running. The drive ups was a black diamond, low visibility, stupid drivers and all that stuff, my vintage previa alltrac ruled the road, needs new wipers thought, arrived at Sierra and it was awesome. Got set up, cleared to Snurf and hit the mountain, 32 inches of new snow and I got a bunch of vertical on my board. Since I didn't have a standard "snowboard", I snurfed the mountain and it was a great time. I even got booted once early on, until I got things straightened out with management. The staff at Sierra does a great job and worked with me. Can't wait for my next visit. Building boards has been a great opportunity, people are getting excited. the timing is right. It feels like snowboarding did back in the day. JG

Advertisement from 25th anniversary issue of surfer magazine

It never seemed like a big deal to have my photo used by Flite Snowboards in the advertisement they placed in the 25th anniversary issue of Surfer Magazine. In retrospect, snowboarding was in its infancy and everything was new. Unknown to most, that year I was riding my own Hibak design had it disguised. I was the first rider at the Sims World Championships with a Plastic Highback, you can see footage of me riding in the Halfpipe/Powder. It was a huge snow year, most I had ever seen. Now I find that we are approaching the 30th anniversary of the Highback Binding. At least I've made my share of turns out there and really looking forward to this coming season. JG

materials

It feels like it took all day, driving to pick up epoxy, the fiberglass and stuff. it did take all day. but we are ready for the next round of production. pretty exciting stuff, new molds, new materials, the sport is taking off. Maybe I can make a few people happy with my designs. Jg

Vacuum epoxy boards, wow

I just reach the 124 mark, maybe a few more boards before I started giving them numbers, I should be keeping track? Anyway, we just shifted from polyester resins to a more environmentally friendly epoxy, we'll see. The epoxy boards in traditional layups are kind of whimpy, but when you add the vacuum to the process the boards are amazing. Lightweight, super strong and sure to be fun on the snow. We are now experimenting with uhmw husks, our first venture in this direction is an amazing G60 vacuum bag creation. I am really excited about how fast we have moved along, we are figuring out all the new molds and they are staring to deliver the best boards yet. Just remember, we are just staring, we hit #124 and the road to 1 million should be quite a ride. JG

It really has been a fun experience getting back into building boards. Alot of people are excited about what we are doing and each time I box up and send out a board its exciting. Mark Sullivan of Tailgate Alaska will get a G60. Rick Waring will get a board for himself and his son in Bend, Oregon. Larry Madden, in Aspen wants a board to ride at Buttermilk and so it goes. Wave Rave in Mammoth Lakes, has a dozen boards ordered and they are almost done. I am excited with the response so far and look forward to launching a website soon. Just so you know, the price of these handmade boards is $200 for a G42, $300 for a G48 and $500 for custom G60.

Visitors to the shop

ITs not everyday that my friend Ishi comes to visit in CAlifornia. Great time to see my friend and build a new board.

Snurfing Season is open

It's starting, the snurfing season of 2013-14. Very Exciting. The line of boards has never looked better, we are taking orders and look forward to providing you with the best ride of the season. Early season is some of the best snurfing, so take advantage.

Winters coming, order your board now. Prices are going up. JG

Rumbles of demand are approaching

In a world of millions of action sports enthusiasts, maybe I am enjoying the anonimity of having only 4 members viewing this blog. I know that my project will impact a million people and I am going to have fun watching it happen. I've had a few inquiries to my boards's coming into the winter season of 2013-14. It will start as a trickle and grow from there. I am ready to build as many boards as is needed, we have a new round of new generation molds, new energy and we are genuinely excited about the upcoming season. We will kick off our first "Snurfari" as soon as there is a foot of snow at the 8500 foot level. Typically, we go to the Echo Summit "Snow Park" or visit our good friends at "Sierra at Tahoe". Winters coming, so order your board now. G42- $300 G48- $400 Custom Boards-$500 and up. If you contact me directly, I will give a discount. JG

:Look closely at the photo

I am still building boards, the legends of building are becoming a small group. Looking forward to the upcoming season. JG

Its august and I can feel the snow coming, its time to order you grellboard for the upcoming season.

As each day passes, I am working toward the goal of building more and better boards, I see an increase in interest and demand for boards, but I know the pent up demand isn't showing yet. Pretty soon, orders will exceed my production, if that hasn't happened already. We have just retooled our molds, we now have extra capacity, with almost 20 molds ready for production, how did that happen? It has been a lot of work and taken much time and focus to achieve what we have done here. Soon, I predict that the demand will increase, production will go up and we will continue to build handmade boards for anyone who wants to go "Snurfing". If you have to ask what its about, you had better get back to the roots of the sport, eclipsed by snowboarding, "Snurfing" legitimately is on the rise. My advise to you the rider, is to order your board asap, that way you will have it when the snow flies. JG

Family first

I had big plans for this summer, gearing up my factory, setting myself up for the upcoming season of "Snurfing", then my dad decided to have total knee replacement at 86 years. Initially, I figured I would spend a couple of weeks, dad would come home and I would come home to. Reality check is important when you are dealing with the elderly. Seven weeks later my brother came to take over where I left off. All is well, dads surgery was successful and now for the challenging part. They are moving west and will be my new neighbors only 5 miles away. How does that happen, well, I go back to the East Coast and fly them to the west coast. It feels like I am planning an expedition into the Congo, not sure what I will find and how the heck will I get out and back home. Regardless, they have a beautiful apartment to move to and I've already stocked it with Bourbon, an electric lazyboy, queen sized bed, and more. With any luck I will have them situated on the 10th and will get back to the gritty business of mold building. I have been working hard to build a series of mold plugs, from which I expect to have many new molds, including a the G42, G48 and G60. There is talk of creating a G56 but that is alot of work and the molds I have do the job. In the meantime, just remember Snurfing is fun.

Can you remember when

You have probably heard stories, rumors, legends, and alot of stuff across the bar but the truth is snowboarding was an outlaws sport. In the beginning we weren't allowed to ride the lifts, or the slopes and had to hike off to find places to ride. Snowboarding culture has always had the chance to tap into the goods and left skiing to our parents and such. As time has passed, have we become those same people?. As an example, I love Snurfing, I had a disgruntled shuttle driver yelling me off the hill, an event organizer telling me the mountain was "concerned",  and the cutting yell of "its not allowed" and the latest story of "Johnny Law" cracking down on an lone "Snurfer".
Its all music to my ears, if they don't want to allow it, then it will happen.
Snurfing is to much fun, learn about it, try it and share it with your family and friends, it just might make your live a little bit better. JG

It's april 17th and I am still ready to go ride, winter is still going.

I can't complain, its been a great season, I managed to go to Sierra at Tahoe, Heavenly, Homewood, Squaw, Big White, Breckenridge, A basin not to mention all the stuff in between. I love the snowboarding, it is one of the best things I do. But the I love the "Snurfing", it fills all those empty spots in between. Sometimes the runs are short and unexpect places, sometimes magical with perfect snow and pitch. Between the two sports I balance my time on the snow and it makes me happy to be a part of both cultures. If you have never read my blog, well, about time, I build snowsurfboards "AKA Grellboards", the best accessory you could have at any time. Good for snow and works great to keep the kids busy doing something. I want to thank all my good friend for their support and looking forward to next season and for anyone in the southern hemisphere, we are ready to build and send boards.
Jeff

It can't be over can it. winter 2013

As I sit and think of how much it has been like summer these past few days, I long for the snow and more powder days. It was only last week when I got some of the best snow of the year, it was so much fun and I miss it. I have at least two more trips planned, next week we head to Mammoth for a couple of days and the forecast is for snow on our first day so that is a step back to winter, then we move on to the Retro 30 event at Soda Springs, should be quite a gathering and with luck some new snow. Shortly after getting back home I am off again to Colorado for the "Throwback" at Breckenridge, it will be so much fun. Traveling solo, fly to denver, rental car, and no plans other than to bring a bunch of boards and make tracks where ever I can.
Looking forward to seeing old friends and making a difference. JG

It's 2013 and I'm only getting started

Where is winter, our where have I been this winter. Its been a wild swing of the Jet Stream, highs and lows, wets and drys, it was 80 degrees here on Friday and Saturday and now its in the 30's-40's. One of these days, the old north pole will just decide its time to get cold again and we will all be freezing, but the snow should be good. If not and global warming decides to warm our planet, they say we will have less snow but more of it when it hits, its that "edge" of cold and warm that dumps the biggest snows and not always at the right times. Either way, the Grellboard 42, 48, 56, and custom 60  are ready to offer "Snurfing enthusiasts" the opportunity to get out and ride when the conditions are just right. No expensive lift tickets, long drives to the resort, lodging, food, etc... Keep it close to home and have just as much fun. Then I would rather ride a chairlift than hike, but the hiking is helping to keep me young and healthy. You figure it out. We just want to get out and ride our boards. Snurfing, Snowboarding, Skiing, whatever it takes to have fun. JG

What the latest

I managed to cut out 8 blanks yesterday and shape them as well. Today I added the grip deck to seven of them. I've been sending out boards faster than I can  build them, its still a trickle but I sense a growing demand and am working to make a plan to satisfy the "snurfing" world. Its a sport independent of snowboarding, skiing, sleds and all the rest of the stuff you find sliding on snow. Snurfing is a respectable, honorable, decent sport and it will give you a workout, like you need.
Here is the before prep to the grip deck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOhQNJtcEiQ

Here is a link I just posted about applying the  grip surface. These are the baby steps. alot more to come. JG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QJy9p24DRY

Friends

I look at the photo taken back in the day at Park City, Utah and realize that I am still good friends with some of these people. I correspond with Chris Karol, just talked to Steve Link, consulted with Terry Kidwell, read a message from Bud Fawcett, watched Bob Klein's career in sports, as for the rest of you, I know your out there and it will be a fun day when we get to catch up, preferably on the slopes. JG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yRHMzOPfR0&feature=player_detailpage

Its not the end of the world

Welcome to the new year of 2013.

I think its starting out ok, I managed to ship boards to Mammoth Lakes, Connecticut, Washington State and have been working on building more. The orders are slow, but then building boards is a slow process. I've worked out preliminary pricing, a G42 is $175, a G48 is $225, all the custom boards above the G48 start at $300 and go up from there. I've been checking out other brands of boards and it seems everyone is trying to drill the consumer for alot more money for their boards. Maybe, I should just price my boards really expensive, would that get more attention? I figure marketing is the key and that I am working on. If someone ordered 1000 boards tomorrow and wants them the day after, well its not going to happen like that. I figure since I am probably the one of the only shops in the country building boards they way I build them its a unique thing. More like a work of art than a functional snowsurfing tool. Regardless, I have reached the pivotal #100 boards mark and have gotten at least 70 boards out there. If you are one of the riders who have one, maybe if you hold onto it, when I'm dead it will be worth something. Unfortunately for you, I don't plan on being dead for along time, so in the meantime get out there and go "Snurfing". If Sherman Poppen could convince Brunswick to build him 500,000 snurfers back in the 1960's, maybe there is hope for my project. Time and perserverence will tell. And for the one other person who reads my blog, thanks Kevin. Your support over the years means alot to me. JG