Saying Goodbye to the "Go To" Boards

This, my Chris Slick single fin, was my first truly magical board. For a long time, it never ceased to amaze me. Then, as my surfing improved, I began to see the board's limitations. Eventually, it was rendered redundant by the James Brown performance noserider and the Tyler log.

My beloved Tyler ding magnet is gone. I finally realized that its size was detracting from, rather than adding to, my stoke. It was a great board, but it was a big tanker (at least for someone of my height). It took me awhile to recognize that it was time to let it go. And let it go I did.

Thankfully, I've already acquired another Slick single fin, a brand new one for less than $600. Ugly lavender nose with a sweet black competition stripe. It's a bit longer and thicker than the Slick I sold. I don't know if the boards pictured went to good homes. The guy who bought the Slick has 29 boards. The guy who bought the Tyler has 27, six of which are Tylers. I guess those guys are bona fide collectors? Or are they pack rats whose compulsive tendencies dictate that they accumulate one board after another? I suppose it really doesn't matter.