Say Hello to the Lady Logger…
On South Wales’ Gower Peninsula you’ll find Josh Hocking, Founder of Shocking Surfboards, who crafts some of the best longboards in the UK. One of his recent models - the Lady Logger - has caught our eye.
Our guest writer and Sports Journalist student, Joe Smith, interviewed Josh to find out more about the board…
If you’re a keen longerboarder, you’re gonna wanna read this one!
Josh established his shaping business in 2015 and has since been shaping boards in an array of sheds in his back garden, which all come together to form a small workshop with everything a typical shaper would need.
He discovered early on in his shaping career that women desired a new board that would allow them to advance their longboarding without riding a huge plank… This led to the creation of the Lady Logger.
Traditional longboards tend to be clunky and difficult to turn, especially if you’re a smaller build. But if you’re looking for a noserider that glides in the simplest of waves and turns like a knife through butter, then this is the model for you.
The Lady Logger model tends to be narrower and thinner, with a more pinched rail profile and mellower bottom contours, making it a forgiving platform for developing noseriding capabilities, as well as traditional manoeuvres. This has led to the board being one of Josh’s more popular models over the past year or so, which people all over West Wales, Gower, Porthcawl, and Devon area have been enjoying.
“The board will engage with the wave face with ease and the rocker line is well balanced to work on a selection of different types of waves.”
When I asked Josh about how women have been responding to the board, he says the feedback has been great, with many telling him they’ve been enjoying the feeling of being able to both noseride and develop their turns.
Following this feedback, he has since shaped a “stage two” model of the Lady Logger, designed for women who want to take their longboarding to the next level.
A fresh stock of Lady Loggers (as pictured above) have just hit the racks in time for some summer cruising, including both 9’0 and 9’2 models, with sanded gloss (matte) finishes. Over the coming months there will be demo days of this model at spots in Gower and Pembrokeshire so that locals can test the boards for themselves. Keep an eye on Shocking Surfboards’ instagram page for more on this.
While Josh has a stunning collection of stock boards, and sometimes offers second-hand steals, he can also custom make and tailor your board to your own needs, allowing you to choose your own beautiful colours and designs.
More about Josh…
Not only is he one of the best shapers in the country, he is also an incredibly talented surfer. Like all the best surfers, he spends as much time as he can in the water when the forecast is good - so you know his boards are well tested!
He recently returned from a trip to Morocco, accompanied by another Gower local, Ed Bresnan. Documenting their trip was talented Welsh surf videographer Max Alesbury (@survivalstance) who shot and edited LOGMOROC.
A clip from their trip was even featured on the @nobodysurf page, alongside an interview with Max.
When he isn’t in the sea, you’ll probably find him in a shed shaping heavenly logs and mastering his trade. The Welshman was mentored by Welsh shaping icons Paul Gill and Roger Cooper. Josh started out making performance mini mal’s for competitive surfing before quickly growing into the world of longboarding and more traditional surfing.
He began his shaping journey out of a desire to create boards and to feel what it was like to ride his own boards, as well as wanting to become involved in the world of shaping. He now creates boards for all levels of surfing, from beginner to expert. Whatever level of surfing you’re at, Shocking Surfboards have got you covered.
To find out more about Josh, watch my video interview with him below and follow @shockingsurfboards on instagram.
Joe Smith
This blog was written by Sports Journalism student, Joe Smith, who is currently on work experience here at Daughters of the Sea.
Joe is from Cornwall and enjoys surfing whenever he can, even when the waves aren’t the best. He keeps up with the WSL (World Surf League) and tries to watch every event despite the time zones.
He’s currently studying Sports Journalism at Cardiff University and enjoys writing about surfing the most.
Follow him on instagram here.