Inside. - Grain Surfboards

Inside. . .
Shops _________ pages 2-13
Worship Services ___ page 14
Antiques __________ page 15
Calendar _________ page 16
Amusements ___ pages 18-20
Fishing Report _____ page 19
Nightlife __________ page 20
Tide Chart ________ page 21
Galleries _______ pages 22-27
Dining ________ pages 30-39
TouriSt
NewS
FREE
Weekly guide to:
Portland
Old Orchard Beach
Saco, Biddeford
Kennebunk
Kennebunkport
Wells, Ogunquit
York & Kittery
July 26 – August 1, 2012
Vol. 54, No. 11
Guide to shopping, galleries, dining and things to do.
Mike LaVecchia rides a wave off York Beach. LaVecchia founded a company in York called Grain that
photo by Nick LaVecchia
makes handcrafted wooden surfboards. See story on page 2.
Magical Cinderella at Arundel Barn Playhouse __________ page 4
Raitt Farm Hosts Tractor and Engine Show ____________ page 18
Saco Museum Displays Historic Panorama ____________ page 22
www.touristnewsonline.com
PAGE 2
TOURIST NEWS, JULY 26, 2012
Going with the Grain
Tradition Meets Innovation at York Surfboard Company
by Anita Matson
“Surf’s up!” When
that call goes out at Grain
Surfboards in York, no
one is surprised if there is
a mad dash for the door to
catch a wave or two. After
all, the beach is only seven
miles away, and it was a
love for surfing that started
Grain.
In business for over
seven years, Grain stands by
its credo – “Locally grown.
Hand-built in Maine” – to
create handcrafted wooden
surfboards that are also
works of art. What began
in a basement not far
away has grown into a
company with a staff of
eight that has put out over
1300 boards, both custom
made and ones built from
kits. But beyond being
a board builder, Grain
has folded into its ethos a
passionate commitment to
the environment.
After years spent in
the snowboard industry
plus time as a boat builder
buying, fixing and selling
boats, founder Mike
LaVecchia was ready
for a change and moved
to York. He had always
loved wooden boats and
sailing and initially started
working for a boat builder.
At the same time, he also
started surfing. Although
he came to the sport later in
life, that did not diminish
his ardor.
“I started thinking
how wooden boats
and their construction
techniques related to
wood surfboards,” says
LaVecchia. “I began in the
cellar of my house, shaping
and building boards by
Brad Anderson, left, and Grain founder Mike LaVecchia, create handcrafted wooden
photographs by Nick LaVecchia
surfboards that are also works of art.
myself and developing
a process that grew into
Grain.”
Shortly after, Brad
Anderson, a graduate of
Maine Maritime Academy,
joined LaVecchia as coowner. Grain has grown
into a full-fledged
surfboard manufacturer
known for innovative
techniques, classic designs
and groundbreaking
products.
Grain surfboards take
their inspiration from the
past (see sidebar). “Hollow
boards have been around
since the ‘30s. Their heyday
was 80 years ago, and then
they were forgotten when
new materials, foam and
fiberglass, which were
easier for manufacturers
to work with, took over,”
says LaVecchia. “The
old-school boards were
very primitive by today’s
standards. We started
where they left off and
have taken the old method
of building and applied
modern design knowledge
and technology.”
Besides believing that
wooden surfboards are
superior to foam boards
in their responsiveness
to waves and overall
performance, LaVecchia
and Anderson see the
return to wood as a
more environmentally
responsible choice. The
company is committed
to building and riding
surfboards that have less
impact on the environment
and more impact on
surfing.
Ninety-nine percent
of the wood used for
the boards is northern
white cedar, grown and
sustainably managed
in northern Maine, and
milled at a small familyowned mill.
“It arrives rough sawn
at our shop, and we
mill it ourselves,” says
LaVecchia. “It’s an ideal
Surfboard
continued on page 8
PAGE 8
TOURIST NEWS, JULY 26, 2012
Surfboard
continued from page 2
choice for boards since it is
rot resistant, is lightweight,
which is an important plus,
and bugs don’t like it. It
makes a board you can
have for life. It is also nice
to work with using our
hand tools.”
After planks are sawn
down their length, the
resulting boards are paired
to lie adjacent to each other
like a book, mirroring the
distinctive grain patterns.
The book-matched wood
is kept together in pairs
in the board-building
process.
“I am always struck by
the beauty of the grain and
the interesting patterns,”
says LaVecchia. “In fact,
the name of the company,
‘Grain,’ just came pretty
naturally. We realized after
building a few boards that
it was the grain of the wood
that we really loved. It just
has so much character.
It tells a story of the tree,
the weather, the habitat. I
guess it just clicked.”
By using the inherent
grain of the wood, he says,
the surfboards become
works of art in shape and
design. The grain also
makes each board unique.
“We try to tell a story
through the wood,”
LaVecchia says. The
custom boards are crafted
one a time, working with
the desires of the customer.
“For instance, some
customers are looking to
recreate the board they
used as a child,” says
LaVecchia.
The performanceoriented designs are shaped
in the computer using 3D
CAD (computer-aided
design) software. Within
Poofs TouristNews 2012 5/2/12
Ninety-nine percent of the wood used for the boards is northern white cedar, grown and
sustainably managed in northern Maine, and milled at a small family-owned mill.
each board is a lightweight
wood frame that supports
the outer wood shell so the
construction of the board is
like a hollow box.
“This design uses
less wood and creates a
lighter board than the oldschool wood boards,” says
Anderson. No veneers or
foam are used. “Inside is
just the same clean air we
breathe,” he says. “Outside,
we use zero- and low-VOC
epoxy, glass or bamboo
cloth, and if the customer
wants, a high-gloss UV
coating to protect the board
for years to come. The
resins we use are based on
organic materials.”
As part of the
company’s commitment
to the environment, very
little goes to waste. The
Offcuts Initiative, “Waste
no Waste,” focuses on
using every scrap of wood,
one way or another.
While the last stop for
shavings and splinters
is animal bedding and
garden mulch, Anderson
says, ”Whatever wood
harbors even a hint of
usefulness gets saved to
await its full potential.
It piles up, waiting for
the day for inspiration to
come.”
Many of their new
products come from these
moments. “Planks too thin
for boards are turned into
veneers and pressed onto
skateboard decks, and
leftover surfboard planks
become Sea Sleds,” says
Anderson.
Grain has about 20
surfboard shapes from
traditional skeg-finned
longboards to modern
quad fishes; the eight-foot
“Steamer” is one of the
more popular models.
Individually crafted
skateboards are new this
year (see story on page 10).
Apparel and accessories
are also available.
Besides custom boards,
Grain also offers surfboard
kits that have been sold
all over the world. For the
do-it-yourselfer who wants
Top 20 Surf Songs of All Time
1. Surfin’ U.S.A. - The Beach Boys
2. Wipe Out - The Surfaris
3. Pipeline - The Chantays
4. Misirlou - Dick Dale & the Del-Tones
5. Surfer Girl - The Beach Boys
6. Surf City - Jan & Dean
7. Let’s Go Trippin’ - Dick Dale & the Del-Tones
8. Surfin’ Safari - The Beach Boys
9. Walk-Don’t Run ‘64 - The Ventures
10. Penetration - The Pyramids
11. Ride The Wild Surf - Jan & Dean
12. The Lonely Surfer - Jack Nitzsche
13. Surfer Joe - The Surfaris
14. Honolulu Lulu - Jan & Dean
15. Baja - The Astronauts
16. Catch A Wave - The Beach Boys
17. Surfer’s Stomp - The Marketts
18. California Sun - The Rivieras
19. Moon Dawg - The Gamblers
20. Mr. Moto - Bel Airs
~ digitaldreamdoor.com
TOURIST NEWS, JULY 26, 2012
by Anita Matson
PAGE 9
The Long and the Short of it:
A Brief History of Surfboards
Surfboards have a
long history dating back
thousands of years. Tribal
chiefs in 6th century
Polynesia rode boards as
long as 25 feet. The first
Europeans to see people
riding the waves were
Captain James Cook and
his crew when they sailed
to the Hawaiian Islands on
the HMS Discovery in 1778.
Early boards were
carved from trees.
Made of solid wood,
commonly measuring 18
feet and weighing up to
100 pounds, they lacked
maneuverability. The
length of the board a surfer
used was related to his
rank in the society.
The arrival of western
missionaries to the islands
in the mid-1800s almost
destroyed surfing. But
by the start of the 20th
century, the sport saw
a resurgence, helped by
Duke Kahanamoku, right, with a 1950s-style board.
Duke Kahanamoku. He
helped popularize the
sport in America in the
1910s and 1920s.
Realizing that heavy
boards were unwieldy,
surfers tried to make them
lighter. One way to reduce
the weight of boards was to
shorten the longer boards.
Instead of 14 to 18 foot
boards, the boards were
made in the 9- to 10-foot
range.
In 1926, Tom Blake, a
surfing innovator, created
the first board built around
an internal frame, called
the “Cigar” board. Lighter
in weight and super fast,
it became the first massproduced board in the
‘30s. Within six years, half
the boards on California’s
beaches were this design.
Lighter weight balsa
wood from South America
became a popular material
for surfboards, as opposed
to heavier redwood. A
“chambered” technique
was developed; the solid
planks were hollowed
out before assembly. The
boards were a bit lighter,
but an incredible amount
of wood was wasted.
Chambered boards became
the norm with the wider
acceptance of balsa around
1940.
History
continued on page 11
Surfboard
continued from page 8
a deeper understanding of
the process, the company
holds classes monthly.
Participants learn alongside
the same builders that craft
the custom surfboards.
“People come from every
corner of the world to
take these classes,” says
Anderson.
Grain surfboards are
available at Liquid Dreams
on Route 1 in Wells. Grain
is located at 60 Brixham
Road in York. FMI www.
grainsurfboards.com, 207457-5313 or email info@ With its inner hollow-box construction, a Grain surfboard uses less wood and is lighter
grainsurfboards.com.
in weight than conventional boards. No veneers or foam used, and the resins are organic.
PAGE 10
TOURIST NEWS, JULY 26, 2012
Skateboarder/woodworker Joins the Team at Grain
by Anita Matson
“Momentum, that’s
what I’m about. I’m no
good at walking. Anything
where there’s momentum
is more suitable for me
– skiing, skateboarding,
biking, surfing,” says
Courtney Strait, master
skateboard deck builder at
Grain Surfboards in York.
Her need for speed has
been a major influence in
the twists and turns her life
has followed.
Only 30, this
independent-minded
woman has already
accomplished much to be
proud of in her life and in
some areas not normally
considered a woman’s
domain – skateboarder,
ocean-going first mate, ski
racer, woodworker and
now, doctoral candidate in
physical therapy.
Raised in upstate
New York, she became a
skateboarder when she
was six, but it was ski
racing that dominated her
young life. At the age of
14, she left home to train
at the National Sports
Academy in Lake Placid,
New York. From there she
Courtney Strait, whose passion for skating is matched by her environmental sensitivities,
photo by Nick Vecchia
is a master skateboard deck builder at Grain.
went on to compete with
the U.S. Ski Team, one of
the youngest women ever
selected for the team. She
was also a National Junior
Champion, NCAA Division
1 skier and competitor at
the X Games Skiercross.
It was while traveling
with the U.S. team all over
the country, Chile and
Europe that two interests
in her life developed.
“I often found myself
in a new place without
a way to get around. I
started thinking about
skateboarding again and
built myself a longboard
for transportation (similar
to a skateboard, but longer,
and used for traveling
distances),” she says.
While in small European
towns, such as Zermatt,
Switzerland, she noticed that
electric carts had replaced
fuel-driven automobiles;
she learned later on that
pollution has a strong
tendency to accumulate in
the deep valleys throughout
Europe. “I became more
pollution conscious,” Strait
says. “I thought skateboards
were one way to reduce
pollution, and then I started
wondering if I could make
a more environmentally
friendly board.”
While she attended
the University of New
Hampshire in Durham,
majoring in philosophy
and business, she began
making boards for her
fellow students. “I made
well over 100 longboards,”
says Strait. “They appealed
to other students who
didn’t drive and wanted
a fun way to get around.”
While all these boards
were cutting down on
carbon emissions, she
realized there was a
missing component –
sustainable-yielding
materials. Sidelined with
injuries and hobbling about
on crutches about a year
ago, she stopped by Grain
Surfboards in York. “Living
along the seacoast, I had
always known about Grain
and what they were about,
using natural materials and
having an environmentally
conscious thread woven
into their philosophy and
products,” says Strait.
“They were so nice.
They dropped their tools
and started talking about
what they were doing.
Eventually I mentioned my
skateboard business, saying
that I hadn’t been able to
harness the materials they
had honed in on for their
surfboards for my skate
decks,” says Strait.
The conversation went
on from there, and they
gave me a shot, sharing their
materials and knowledge,
she says. Originally she
worked independently in
her own shop. Since the
beginning of this summer
she has become a Grain
employee, developing the
“Cider Hill Skateboard,”
a mid-size board with a
classic pintail shape.
The collaboration has
been mutually beneficial.
Strait has found the
materials – sustainableyield maple, plant-based
epoxies and bamboo cloth
that is laminated for a
natural grip tape substitute,
and Grain has found a
use for its left-over cedar
scraps, as part of its Offcuts
Initiative, plus a logical
extension of its brand.
Pleased to be building
the boards she envisioned,
she says, “I think I am
crafting one of the most
sustainably constructed
skateboards on the market
now.”
Already she is thinking
of new designs. “I’m
making new molds,
drawing new shapes and
developing a street board
that is smaller than a
longboard, more versatile
and good for tricks,”
Strait says. “And I still
challenge myself to find
more sustainable materials
to construct boards with.”