Takayama

[Hozameen]

I heard a rumour that the majority of Takayamas we see in Australia are pop outs?

Im not one for rumours so can someone please clarify this?

Just the thought of said rumour, and the price tags, is enough to get me reaching for the bottle.

[ric_vidal]

I heard a rumour that the majority of Takayamas we see in Australia are pop outs?

Im not one for rumours so can someone please clarify this?

Just the thought of said rumour, and the price tags, is enough to get me reaching for the bottle.

Oz PU/PE versions are done at Byron Bay under license by Tony Squirrell & his son, also does Bear in Australia. Interesting character, but that is not for these pages. Files are CNC cut and hand finished like most ‘name’ brands where the ‘name’ never sees or touches them or is aware of their quality... the Taks wound be a first class finish and they would want to be for the price.

Fair amount of Taks in Australia are Surftechs, you can define that as a ‘pop-out’ if you so desire.

You are paying for the name which is perhaps a worthy cause (apparently he was making a 6 figure royalty on the Surftechs years ago), that may have slowed up as I personally believe they are loosing popularity. God knows they are a p-rick to repair.

[daryl]

think some were being ghost-shaped by hand in Currumbin and exported

[Wingnut]

Nice looking boards but I'd be hard pressed to pay $1,100+ for an 5'10" egg that's ghost shaped...

[lamesville]

Indeed they are CNC machine cut and hand finished by Paul Hutchinson in Byron Bay.
It is the same KKL machine that Donald uses in the States and then Tommy hand finishes them over there. Not too much shaping being done by the man himself these days, so the majority of his boards worldwide are indeed "ghost shaped". Just like all your Merricks and JS's that they say were "hand-shaped" by the respective shaper.
RV was correct in saying you are indeed paying for both the name and the quality of the product. You've just got to look at one of these boards to know what I'm talking about. And of course there's always going to be someone who does something better or knows someone who does better work blah blah blah. But the extra time is always taken to make sure they're up to scratch, and I'm sure Donald wouldn't have just any clowns making his boards. The guy is a legend.
So no, none of the boards made here in Oz are "pop-outs" and no-one in Currumbin or anywhere else is making them and exporting them. The usual old wives club rumours.

[daryl]

^

that's me, my ears were flapping they make Takuras except now I can't find them anywhere not even in Currumbin and ship 'em.

What's wrong with that anyway

[buzzy]

I've never ridden a Takayama but man they look good, ghost shaped or not.

[Nick Carroll]

surely this is a longboard thing

[speedneedle]

Most certainly a longboard thing...

But I have to add - I sprayed and finish coated many a longboard shaped by Paul Hutchinson at Bear in 1998-2000...Had my hands all over shapes by numerous names there, and Pauls were amongst the tidiest.

While no more likely to be touched by Takayama than the Bears are by the dude in "Big Wednesday", If they're making Takayamas then you are getting a top-quality product.

However, with that knowledge and IF I rode longboards, I'd be going to a local shaper direct for a custom.

Josh
www.joshdowlingshape.com

[g-man]

The Takays are made under licence at Northcoast Longboards, and Donald
is very strict about who does his boards, you can see some examples at Heritage Surf in Manly, they may cost a little more than the surftec but you get what you pay for

[jimmy]

hows the quality control enforced

wat blanks they using

[Glamarama]

As has been said the pu boards are made up at north coast surfboards in Byron bay. Same place as bear.

I was there last month and checked out a fe boards. Was told that the don stopped shaping ov 5 yrs ago. That would only be from Hawaii anyway. All Oz boards are shaped by employed shapers of north coast.

Great quality but I wouldn't be paying the $$ if it wasn't the don doing the shaping.

[ric_vidal]

Great quality but I wouldn't be paying the $$ if it wasn't the don doing the shaping.

Then no Tak for you young man.

[Beanpole]

Read on Swaylocks or somewhere that Al Merrick insists his boards are glassed with UV Resin. Don't know if its true but they seem quite spongy.

[Glamarama]

Great quality but I wouldn't be paying the $$ if it wasn't the don doing the shaping.

Then no Tak for you young man.

2nd hand?

saw one on evil bay, the claim was shaped by the don himself. how do you know? the seller told me the difference is on the stringer in pencil it reads 'donald takayama' vs just DT. asked at the factory when i was up there. apparently up until 5 years ago or so the Oz made boards said..........................you guessed it 'donald takayama'. the don insisted they change it to DT.

so no way i know too know the difference?

only 'name' shapers that i can think of that man handle their brand boards are mccoy, van stralleen, mackie. sure there are others.

[jimmy]

well....stencils never lie

a sig on the bottom means little

if the boards correctly made....sometimes the ghost shaper can replicate the design better than the master

wat blanks they using cheap shit blanks are a giveaway the rest the quality the production process

[kayu]

hows the quality control enforced

wat blanks they using

There's no weak links in Takayama quality chain.......Nth Coast is pretty renowned for their quality....they don't cut corners at any stage of production....I think the Aus Takayama's would be some of the finest surfboards available in the world today........

[pirate_agenda]

Read on Swaylocks or somewhere that Al Merrick insists his boards are glassed with UV Resin. Don't know if its true but they seem quite spongy.

not true. I know a shop that does (by does i mean scrub the machine shape, glass and finish) a share of his sydney stock and they were all regular PE. Funny thing, the shop i know got told by CI to reduce the quality of the finish, because they were making other CI's look bad! haha good attitude for an $800 PU/PE off the rack board.