You know, I'm just stoked to be part of it with Matt and Chris and, you know, pretty honored that they're here doing the shaping contest of one of the boards that I rode.

You know, it's super cool to be part of that and to see what it became, you know,

really, you know, the fish just really took off from what, you know, me and Chris and Matt did,

and, you know, and Andy was part of it too. So it was a lot of fun and it was just good memories

in my life. It's cool. That's the voice of Corey Lopez, discussing the mid-90s and a pivotal moment in surfing,

where one particular board design and a very small group of people altered the way waves were ridden.

Welcome to Surf Splendor. I'm your host, David Scales. Today's episode, 5-5 by 19 and a quarter,

was recorded at the boardroom show in San Diego, California. The boardroom show is the world's

largest consumer surfboard show. The show's director, Scott Bass, places a heavy emphasis on the craftsmanship involved with board building. And it's in this spirit that the show is centered around two main shaping competitions. The icons of phone tribute to Ben Ipa, which will be the subject

of a future episode of Surf Splendor, and then the chunk of foam challenge, which is the focus

of today's episode.

The chunk of foam challenge, sponsored by U.S. Bl Blanks is a throwback to old school board building.

Four contestants are tasked with replicating a specific surfboard.

To do so, they are given nothing more than a block of foam, a very limited supply of tools,

no measuring devices nor outlines, and a time limit of three hours.

The board they are required to replicate this year was the classic lost round-nose fish,

also known as the RNF 5-5 by 19 and a quarter. Each contestant was only allowed to physically hold the board

for 90 seconds prior to shaping. Once their three hours shaping window began, they were no longer

allowed to touch the board. The entire experience takes place inside a glass windowed, fishbowl-style shaping bay with fans sitting on

the bleachers watching every move. This year's contestants were Chris Christensen, Mike Estrada,

Hank Warner, and the first ever female to compete at the boardroom show, Kelly Connolly.

We'll hear from each of them in today's show, along with the shaper of the original round-nosed fish,

...