I started surfing with
@runyonsurf a few years ago thanks to
@5surfers . It’s a great crew of vets who appreciate the empty lineup of Onslow Beach in winter.
I’m a lousy surfer, like, three decades of minimal improvement lousy despite living and surfing in Australia, Hawaii, Florida, and North Carolina. That is relevant because Clint Runyon is super patient and super stoked to see someone else be. I rode his boards for a bit, he watched me surf, and taught me some simple things to be better. Then he made a board for my best friend to take on a six month surf trip. I did the art for that one and felt like I had to have a Runyon because I like meaningful things that work, like Randall and
@les_george knives, old shotguns, and Toyota pickups.
I also love labradors, and though I didn’t have a good enough picture of Jed (another thing that works thanks to
@billmattes ), I found an award winning photo by
@oddlimbs and cold called him for permission to put it on a custom made surfboard. I asked Clint to put duck hunter camo on the rails as an homage to waterfowling and my time as a
@us_marsoc Raider. The red pinstripe is a bit of love to both Georgia red clay and
@tombeckbe , another creator of functional art that works and lasts.
I don’t surf well enough to own this board, but it gives me something to shoot for and I like art that also works. I decided to challenge Clint as an artist, and he came through in spades.
Things that matter don’t come easy, and in a disposable world they shouldn’t. I humbly ask those of you that surf to ask Clint for your own piece of functional art. If you need help designing a board to bring together the things that matter to you, holler at me.
