Stretch Boards blog for product reviews, team updates and factory news.
Nathan Fletcher is human. He faces challenges like you and I but perhaps on a different scale…
Follow Your Mission With Nathan Fletcher, Presented by Nixon
Nixon | Welcome William Aliotti to the Team from NIXON Europe on Vimeo.
Not too unlike motorcycle clubs compelling you to work for that 3-piece patch, showing your worth and earning the respect of the vanguard, you can’t just join the Nixon team. One has to be voted in by the other members in order to join the elite Pro ranks of the tight knit family.
Through years of support from Nixon Europe, William’s hard work and commendable attitude both in and out of the water allowed him to prove his mettle to the surfing world. He’s just been voted in to be a full fledged member of the Nixon Family. Congratulations William!
13 unmarked 6’0″ shortboards. 1 anonymous pro surfer. The challenge to create the most high performance surfboard design was underway for the second iteration of Stab Magazine’s resplendent feature project “Stab in the Dark” featuring Dane Reynolds in South Africa.
If you missed the full video then do yourself a favor and indulge 1/2 an hour of your downtime by clicking here to watch
the board:
modified Sword squash tail
6’0″ x 19″ x 2.5″
volume*: 30L+
*not entirely certain on the exact volume since the design criteria was for a newer model to be hand shaped. We have it digitized now and it comes out to 30.2L
CFT med Factory Pro construction:
Futures ILT tri-fin
Would we have liked to see a non-jet lagged Dane Reynolds going mental in 8′ drainers instead of less than ideal beach break conditions? Sure. Well, he didn’t get to ride it again but the limited time he spent getting his feet into it sure was fun to watch!
Would you like to have a crack at riding the same board? For FREE??!!??!! We made a total of 4. All you have to do is go to stabinthedark.stabmag.com and enter to win!
or… if you want one right now then you can scope it at http://store.stretchboards.com/product/the-sword
Benjamin Sanchis, a.k.a.- “Sancho” has the grueling task of traveling around the world to hunt down mind bending barrels for the enjoyment of your viewing pleasure.
WHERE IS SANCHO l KANDUI from FTR Films on Vimeo.
Buzzsaw 5’10.5″ x 19.35″ x 2.5″ bat tail CFT med. construction FCSII quad with “feathered brush fade” colorwork by Sandy.
Thing v2 6’2″ x 19.2″ x 2.5″ round pin CFT med. construction FCSII 5-fin with “vert brush fade” colorwork by Sandy.
Andrew Doheney slid down south of the border to get filthy on his 5’6″ Buzzsaw SK8.
SK8 deck concave + front foot traction = Gumby laybacks!
“You Only Tell the Truth in the Dark” documents a journey through the Chilean landscape with William Aliotti and Sebastien Zanella of Desillusion Magazine. This video is a somber and introspective look at what drives us into exploring the unknown. It reflects the urgency in each of us to go out of our comfort zone, whether that’s paddling into massive slabs while undergunned or traveling in a camper van for a month with no access to your electronic devices. What we make of the moment defines who we are. We often can’t see well when heading into the fog. In this case, Willy clearly found his way.
Nixon | You only tell the truth in the dark: William Aliotti from NIXON Europe on Vimeo.
If you get lost in the fog tonight,
will you cry?
If you go out and you cannot see,
will you die?
If you get swallowed by clouds tonight,
will you wake up in your own skin?Or will you become someone else?
Maybe him.
The fast flying, slab hunting frenchman capped off his Chile sojourn with a win at the 2016 Arica Pro presented by Maui and Sons.
William Aliotti Arica Final from Stretch Boards on Vimeo.
1st place in Chile. photo courtesy WSL
Willy was knifing frontside bombs on his CFT medium 5’10” x 18.187″ x 2.187″ Lil Buddy model. His final heat against friend and competitor Dean Bowen found him scoring a perfect 10 which sealed the deal and gave an unforgettable end to his to Chilean road trip adventure!
William had this to comment on how he felt after winning the event:
“Without the board you make me I would of never won this contest ! In my first heat I took a set on the head and I thinks if you board wasn’t strong I would of break my board for sure . I was soo confidant on the 5,10 lil buddy and the 6,2 2×4 there were amazing! flying every football !”
(Yeah, not sure what he means by “flying every football” either. It’s all good! Maybe it’s a french thing or something he learned while in Chile… William speaks English 100x’s better than I speak French but I still blame the autospell correct on his iphone!)
Congratulations WIlliam!
check out more on the 2016 Arica Pro and WIlliam’s perfect 10 ride here
William Aliotti and Dean Bowen atop the podium in Arica, Chile.
Acclimating to the Chilean surf during his road trip with Desilllusion magazine allowed William to get acquainted with gutting lefts prior to the contest. photo: Sebzanella
Summertime in Santa Barbara during a post-El Niño mega winter is a huge let down if you just got tubed out of your mind for the past 6 months. So, Andrew decided to keep stoking the fire and chased down a bomber swell all the way to Sumatra.
andrew bennett in nias 2016 from Stretch Boards on Vimeo. video: @nickliotta
Andrew was settling his feet into a new 2×4 step up round pin 5’11” x 18.6″ x 2.4″ and chasing down the bombs on a 6’8″ x 18.5″ x 2.6″
check out more of Andrew’s trip to Nias by visiting sundancebeach.com
the boards may have showed up late…. but at least they managed to show up! photo:@nickliotta
andrew driving hard on his 5’11” 2×4 round pin step up. photo: @justin_buulolo
no stranger to backside tubes. photo: @justin_buulolo
If you had 38 minutes to peek outside the “mon-fri, 9-5 office life” confines to satisfy your curiosity of those that live the surf/skate industry lifestyle then this film is worth the watch.
You could call it proliferation of “counter culture” livelihood. We are human and we enjoy finding ways to live our lives standing on 2 feet (preferably on top of board that’s moving really fast).
Detaching yourself from what everyone else is doing or thinks is “right” can be difficult for some. If you live in modern society then try leaving your smartphone at home for a whole day and see what happens. Here’s a documentary about certain individuals who don’t find that task to be too difficult in today’s world.
Features include daily life for Nathan Fletcher and family, our buddy Dave Nelson and a host of others who keep things real in this life we live.
Keep an eye out for a little cameo appearance by a micro sized Koa Depuyt!
visit more at storyofasundowner.com
A surf trip south of the border can reset your mind, your soul and your perspective on the world we live in. Re-visiting childhood adventures as a new father brings a whole new meaning to the journey.
“…It’s a different world… and i like it!”
Herbie and Nathan Fletcher: Peninsula South from Nixon on Vimeo.