SAM ZUEGNER

PLACE OF ORIGIN:

Souel, Korea

YEARS RIDING:

28.

UPDATES:

Over the summer I have been involved in surfboard design with my shaper. We have been working on reducing the length of the boards while still keeping the overall volume of the boards the same by making them thicker and more full in certain areas. Also we have been refining some older model boards and testing many different channel bottoms.

Currently I have been meeting up and shooting with different photographers in the southern California area, mainly San Clemente. San Clemente is the home of Surfer and Surfing Magazines. I'm also fortunate enough to have Transworld Surf Magazine located close to my house in Carlsbad. We have been blessed with some good waves so keep your eyes out for some editorial photos in the future.

Beginning of my summer was super chill, I went on the Ripzone catalogue shoot to Nicaragua, a goofyfooters dream. It was a typical Ripzone trip consisting of good food good times and beer and more beer. There were the typical practical jokes and sunburnt gringos. I spent the whole beginning of the trip in sweatpants and leashless thanks to the airlines. but 4 days later they delivered my bags and even asked for a tip. I had no intentions of tipping since it was there mistake but I felt bad for the guy who drove my bags 3 hours one way. He ended up getting a $20 spot from me(I wish I had some smaller change) oh well who cares money comes money goes and I was in paradise. Our guides and new friends from NSR (nicaraguasurfreport.com) captured a few shots and posted them on their website with their daily surf reports. Before the trip RipzonE Team Manager Geoff Andruik aka And Drunk, asked us to put mounts for these little go-pro cameras on our surfboards. I never used one before and had all the settings wrong but managed to put together this little video.

After the trip I arrived home to San Diego to be greeted by the same swell we surfed in Nicaragua. It was pretty cool surfing the same swell so far away. South swells that hit Central America can grind up the coast all the way to California and farther. The surf never stopped we had waves for weeks on end, actually we have had waves all summer. A few weeks after the trip Photo Guy Scott Serfas let me know I scored a shot on the ESPN ZOOM website

In the end of July I surfed a Volcom VQS contest down at Seaside Reef and went down just before the finals. Its all good though because all the guys in the final don't plan on surfing the rest of the season leaving me in a good spot to qualify for the VQS championships next year. August brought more waves and warm water. Currently this is the warmest the water has been ever in Southern California. We are also going to be seeing an El Nino weather pattern coming up which means big surf for California.

Currently I am working closely with my surfboard shaper on some new designs for the consumers. The pictures are of the Dragonfish previously called the Fireball, a design he made 15 years ago. I have been testing and revising this board with him adding some new school flare to an already solid board. Unfortunately due to the complexity of these boards They may be kind of pricey to the consumer. I thank my lucky stars he sponsors me. AFTERMATHSURFBOARDS.COM See you in the water,Sam Zuegner