CJ Nelson’s Alien Space Rocket From A Galaxy Far Away

Last year, CJ Nelson put on what many called one of the greatest longboard performances ever seen in competition, at the Mexi Log Fest and Duct Tape Invitational, in Saladita, Mexico.

While CJ enjoyed second-homefield advantage on the Mexican Malibu mirror-image, owning the lovely Casa Trim just up the street from the fabled left point, the veteran, several years sober and firing on all cylinders, took down a star-studded visiting pack of pros like Alex Knost, Ryan Burch, Tommy Witt, and perennial Duct Tape star Justin Quintal in both events. 

This analogy will cop heat, but for longboarders, it was as if the Volcom Pipe Pro and Pipe Masters were scheduled on the same day, and Archy showed up and smoked the lot.

Winning both the Mexi Log Fest and the Duct Tape Invitational, in back-to-back finals, CJ rode a board he’d had designed to fit the Duct Tape’s strict rules—standard construction, no leash plug, no modern trappings like side fins or edge in the rails, etc.—with Eden Saul of Dead Kooks, a late-60’s Total Involvement outline with a swept-back flex fin, nose concave, and plenty of curve in the tail for powerful, on-rail turns. CJ’s win marked a high point for his career, rivaled perhaps only by his breakout role in Thomas Campbell’s Sprout. 

This week, CJ released a new model with Eden and Dead Kooks, based off the board he rode at Saladita, aptly named the “Guerrero,” which is available in standard construction, as well as the epoxy/carbon/volan fiberglass technology both he and his team have been riding for the last few years (and which many traditionalists have mixed feelings about. You can read more about the Thunderbolt technology CJ’s been working on in the “Laminations” section here). 

“Lots of people will say, ‘hey…..thats not a log!’ and they are right…. it’s a futuristic alien space rocket from galaxies far away.’

So there’s lots to unpack with this new board. Break it down for us (Weight, flex, fin recs, etc.) 

CJ Nelson: Ok, so the Guerrero weighs in at 17.5 lbs in the 9’11; the 9’6’ comes in slightly under that.

The dims are: 9’6″ x 17 x 23 1/8 x 15 13/16 x 3 and 73 liters, or 9’11” x 17 3/8 x 23 9/16 x 15 7/8 x 3 3/16 and 82 liters.

It has 60/40 rails, and a nice even rocker that fits into the wave face well. I designed this one to have a little more twist in the tail and added a down-rail and tucked edge in the last 24 inches. The added edge in the tail was an afterthought, and not on the poly board I won on.

We are trying to design a series of the best functioning, best performing longboards in the world. Lots of people will say, “hey…..thats not a log!” 

And they are right…. It’s a futuristic alien space rocket from galaxies far away.

I personally ride one of my 11” flex fins from The Flying Diamond Fin co., but this board works well with lots of fin designs. True Ames’ Greenough 4a is definitely an honorable mention. 

“Ive always felt if a board feels good, then ride it regardless if it fits into the “traditional box” or the “performance box”….who cares?” – CJ Nelson.

Photography

Justin Bowers

So what made you want to work with Eden, and how long you’d been working with him on designs?

I’ve been working with Eden, dialing in a few boards, basically since we first met through our affiliation with The Critical Slide Society.

We were spending a good portion of time together in Japan and Australia, talking boards. Eden is the kinda guy who just surprises you and says, Hey, check it out, I made you a board after our last conversation.

Super curious and giving and kind. He first made me a tapered version of his Nausea model, which i instantly bonded with and things just escalated from there. I like open-minded young shapers, who aren’t afraid of changing things and breaking “rules.”

Ive always felt if a board feels good, then ride it regardless if it fits into the “traditional box” or the “performance box”….who cares?

Good is good. I think people often forget that surfing is a personal thing and your pleasure should be your first priority. 

“Good is good. I think people often forget that surfing is a personal thing and your pleasure should be your first priority.” – CJ Nelson.

Photography

Justin Bowers

Well, that brings up the specifics of the Duct Tape Event. What you were thinking about building that board. 

When the invites for the DTI and the Mexi Log Fest rolled around, I reached out to a couple friends for boards, namely Eden Saul and Ryan Engle. Both young and open-minded guys, who have crazy quick turn arounds on orders when need be. I knew the wave well, and knew what I wanted in a board. It wasn’t rocket science. I wanted to turn like Nat and tip ride like Nuuhiwa, so I took elements from their most famous models and combined them with my own personal tweaks.

Edens board came out a little racy, compared to Ryan’s. The waves were pumping when I arrived, so I bonded with Eden’s board the most. I spent two weeks on it, in pretty solid waves for a log. I probably could have switched to Ryan’s when the event rolled around and the surf dropped, but I was so damn comfortable at that point, I just stuck with it. That was a poly handshape, which are available, too. 

Eden is the kinda guy who just surprises you and says, “Hey, check it out, I made you a board after our last conversation.”

But the others are the epoxy/carbon/volan construction you’ve been riding a lot of the last few years, which Joel doesn’t allow in the Duct Tape, and which flies in the face of a lot of conventional wisdom w/r/t to “traditional longboarding.” 

The thing is, I’m not out on a personal crusade to make people choose between performance and traditional. I could care less what you ride; I’m certainly not going to judge your personal character either way.

I think most people simply want an easy-to-ride surfboard, except for the ones who use it as more of a fashion accessory. I like to think of longboarding as one community, with everyone enjoying different avenues of the sport. Guys like Tommy Witt, Corey Colapinto, Mike Stidham and a few others are blurring the lines between performance and traditional, its just fantastic longboard surfing. I love that. There will always be a place in my quiver for 25lb volan logs, but there’s also a place and space for everything else.

I know for a fact, there is not a traditional longboard surfer on the planet that would ride this eps and carbon Guerrero and not love it.

Period.

What do you think the alternative construction offers the design—flex, variable control, environmental benefits, durability, etc?—and do you think it’s silly to be closed-minded to it?

As I said, if its pure feeling and performance you’re looking to get out of your board, then there’s nothing better.

They simply work and feel better than a traditional poly board. You have an advantage when riding one which is probably why they are not allowed in certain events. 

If you were to break down the benefits directly, its defiantly more durable and will outlast any poly board, which makes them, in theory, better for the planet.

Theoretically, they should actually ride better with age.

We designed them to twist in the tail and flex in the nose with a stiff spot in the mid section for trim speed.

You can ride them light or heavy and the flex/performance benefits stay in tact. The feeling is like nothing I’ve ever experienced, almost the way a carbon bike works with your natural cadence and organic rhythm these boards move with you so you never get that feeling of forcing something. 

And do you think it’s silly to be closed-minded to it?

I dunno, I mean what do you want out of a surfboard? Something that works, or a timepiece from surf history? I guess if your a car collector you would have both, a Caddy for that Sunday cruise and a Lambo when you want to scare the shit out of yourself. These eps boards are the Lambo.

I encourage our customers and team to stay well-practiced in both, like I personally do. There is not another sport on the planet where evolution is discouraged. Surfing was started by the most open-minded, rebellious people on the planet who evolved and adapted constantly to get us where we are today. So in my book, I’m just carrying on a tradition.

Growing with a completely open mind and heart, with the best intentions for my team and customers. It’s cool if our boards and evolution isn’t your thing, but nobody can say they don’t work like a dream. Just try one……

“I dunno, I mean what do you want out of a surfboard? Something that works, or a timepiece from surf history? I guess if your a car collector you would have both, a Caddy for that Sunday cruise and a Lambo when you want to scare the shit out of yourself. These eps boards are the Lambo.”