Buying your first Harley Davidson?

So YOU Really Want to Ride?

OK, you finally decided on which Harley to buy, but there remains one major obstacle – how to pay for your dream bike. If you are still wavering on bike choices or whether to buy new or used be sure to stop by a Dealer and get yourself on the right bike. 

For those with cash-in-hand, recent lottery winners, or those that have been saving their nickels, what are you waiting for? Get out there, buy that new Harley, and enjoy the ride! For many however, buying a bike will require financing.   Let’s face it, Harley’s are not cheap and they hold their value! But that does not mean you have to wait saving up for one.

Interest rates are lower than they have been in years and finance companies are starting to approve motorcycle loans as easily as auto loans. What I find when hunting for loans is a lot of fine print and hidden costs, aside from the occasional “NO”.

The best deals on motorcycle loans I found were online or with credit unions. Maybe it has to do with less overhead or automation, but I was able to find rates and terms through major finance companies that were better than what I would have received calling them on the phone. Whether online or at a bank, be sure to verify that they finance motorcycles before applying. What works out for you may vary, but for me personally these companies were a pleasure to deal with. I even found some that offered financing on used motorcycles, something many banks won’t do. For anyone saving to buy a Harley, the biggest suggestion I can make is don’t wait too long. Set goals for yourself and do whatever it takes (within reason) to get out there and ride. For some this may require paying down current debt, reducing a few unnecessary bills (do you really need 400 cable channels?), or even refinancing a current car loan to a lower interest rate. Every little bit helps.

Don’t forget to check into insurance for your new or used bike. This is often overlooked and could end up costing you more than you expected. This is also a good opportunity to save some cash to spend on your new ride or chrome goodies since you could save money on your current insurance (both car and bike).   Rather than spending time on the phone with insurance agents trying to sell you their products, check out Geico, that's what I have  and get a free online quote without getting hassled by some insurance salesman. I also ended up with better coverage from a company that provides coverage specifically for motorcycles and not just modified auto coverage.

So with this info maybe it's time to get out there, pick up your new Harley from us and RIDE SAFE!

Till Next month/

Shaper Supply Opens in LA

Shaper Supply Q&A with Florian Saylor

Thank you Transworld for this article:

Shaper Supply in Los Angeles, Calif. provides area watermen the supplies, knowledge and space for shaping and repairing surfboards, boats and other marine craft. The shop was launched in 2012 by Florian Saylor and currently offers a wide selection of product and services, including shaping lessons, DIY-shaping space, high-quality hand tools, foam surfboard blanks, art supplies and much more. Not only do local surfers get the benefits of Florian's experience as a backyard shaper, he is also helping to generate business for area glassing shops and is on his way to helping surfers everywhere get the supplies they need to shape their own boards.

"This is the first retail shop I’ve ever owned and never imagined the endless amount of things there are to do," said Florian Saylor, Founder of Shaper Supply. "It was a crazy first year, but I’m very happy with where the shop is now."

We interviewed Florian to get the scoop on launching Shaper Supply to find out what it's like to own a retail store dedicated to the craft of building surfboards. We asked him about the challenges and rewards of being a first-time business owner, we got the scoop on how he runs the operation from day to day and much more - check out the Shaper Supply Company Q&A.

What was the initial inspiration for starting Shaper Supply?
As a backyard shaper, I’d known for a long time that Los Angeles needed its own local supply shop – there was a growing community of shapers in the area and we all dreaded having to fight traffic up to Ventura or down to Orange County to pick up these materials.

The initial intention for the store was really to supply materials (blanks, cloth, resin, etc.) and offer shaping bays for rent, but right after opening our doors, people showed an interest in learning to shape boards and the lessons kicked off on their own that way.

Who runs the business?
I launched the business about a year and a half ago now, without investors or other business partners. Everything in the shop was built from scratch – I built out the shaping bays, a friend welded the racks, I even actually fell through the ceiling when I was doing my own electrical work (if you see the Mexican blankets hanging on the ceiling, they are not just decorative, they also cover up a Florian-shaped hole).

What has been reaction from the surf industry after a year in the business?
Very positive.  We’ve just begun talking with an industry veteran about doing a collaborative project in the next few months. Also, there’s no glassing done on-site, so the local glass shops are happy with the new business that we send their way.  

Have you received any backlash from the shaping community in regards to your company possibly redirecting their business?
I haven’t - hand-shaping a board is hard work, and if anything, shaping students go home with a much deeper respect for the masters of the craft.

Who is your competition?
I haven’t heard of anyone else doing this in Los Angeles at this point.

What is a typical day like at Shaper Supply?
It varies. Shaping lessons are set by appointment and the bay rentals are always busy as space is limited in LA, and not all people can afford a house or apartment with a garage. We get all sorts of people cruising in with shaping or ding repair needs and questions. We have a projector that is used to play surf movies and contests, if there is an event on, you are likely to see some surf rats drinking beers and arguing about scores and waves. We also host events from time-to-time – we’ve had board swap meets, some great bands play here, and a few good block party-style BBQ’s.

What have been the most popular services offered by Shaper Supply?
The material sales such as resin, blanks and tools are a larger part of the business than the shaping lessons that we provide. We get a lot of customers coming in for these materials that use them for other, non-surf-related purposes as well, such as art, motorcycle helmets, tons of random things you would never think of. In November someone came in to get a bunch of resin and fiberglass to make giant Christmas bulbs for an outdoor mall.

Where do you see room for growth?
The online sales of tools, materials and supplies are definitely growing fast.

Are there any thoughts or plans to open more locations?We’ve got some exciting things in the works but not ready to give away any surprises.

What have been the challenges after a year in business?
Finding enough hours in the day - this is the first retail shop I’ve ever owned and never imagined the endless amount of things there are to do from maintaining the website, shooting product images, social media, answering online product questions, helping customers with questions, keeping up with inventory stock, managing the finances/accounting, marketing… I could go on forever. Oh yeah, keeping up with City Tax, County Tax, Sales Tax, State Tax, Federal Tax. Taxes are a bitch.  

What has been the biggest reward for you in launching Shaper Supply?
We rent the shaping bays on a monthly basis as well and some of the experimental shapes those guys are doing are super fun to see.  It’s rad to see the monthly guys become friends and talk board design or go for a surf. In a way, it’s bringing together a little local community of guys who’ve found a passion for shaping and experimenting with board designs.

Shaper Supply Co

3523 S. Centinela Ave
Mar Vista, CA 90066
310.862.4407

Regular Hours:    
Monday-Thursday: 12pm - 6pm
Friday & Saturday: 11am - 5pm
Closed Sundays

Dean Randazzo into East Coast Hall of Fame

Dean Randazzo has spent much of his life traveling the world, qualifying for and surfing the elite Association of Surfing Professionals tour. And he did it with little support from the industry - rarely enjoying the benefits of being a pro surfer.

That's why it was somewhat ironic Friday night when the Somers Point, N.J., native was inducted into the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame at the annual Surf Expo trade show at the Orange County Convention Center.

"He never asked for anything," said Randazzo's mother, Mary Lou, also of Somers Point, who was there to see her son's induction.

"I would always ask if he needed anything and he would always tell me he was fine. He would do whatever he had to do to get around to the contests," she said. "I found out later when I read it in the magazines how he was eating jelly packets from restaurants or hanging around the Yoplait booth at a contest in France for free yogurt. He was so proud, and he didn't want me to worry."

Although Randazzo, 45, became the only surfer from New Jersey to compete on the ASP World Tour, that was not the biggest challenge he faced during his career.

In the midst of a great season in 2001 where he was working toward requalification, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. That was the first of his three battles with cancer, a stem cell transplant, and argubaly one of the most storied comebacks in surfing history.

Randazzo won the coveted Garden State Grudge Match in 2002 and 2007. He was named MVP of the 2004 X Games Surf event, won the 2004 Red Bull Icebreak and is a perennial finalist in the Fosters Belmar Pro. In September, he made the semifinals at Belmar against competitors half his age or younger.

During his first bout with cancer, he also started the Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation, which has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the families of athletes, many of them from South Jerseym who are battling the disease.

Each year, the foundation hosts surf contests, parties, golf tournaments and a 21-mile paddle race around Absecon Island called Paddle for a Cause to raise money.

On Friday, surrounded by his family, Randazzo looked jittery before the ceremony until the auditorium started to fill. He seemed to relax when a line of surfers and industry folks, old friends from his days on tour, came to shake his hand.

"I traveled with him on the tour for 15 years," shared Ryan Ragan, a former pro surfer from Florida who lives in San Francisco and works for the surfwear manufacturer Quiksilver. "I'm so excited to see him inducted. My mom died of cancer, and Dean helped her in her fight. A lot of the world champs would tell you that he was one of the best surfers in the world - so fast and smooth."

Hunter Joslin, a fixture in the surfing community and the master of ceremony Friday, said that Randazzo was compared to three-time world champ Tom Curren by Derek Hynde, who used to write for Surfer magazine.

"He's a cancer survivor who fought back four separate times, and he still rips," Joslin said.

Randazzo, who often lets his surfing do the talking during competitions, didn't have much to say at the ceremony.

"Those who know me know I'm not a man of many words. But I want to thank my family for everything," Randazzo said at the podium, raising his award, "And here's to being an East Coast surfer."

Today, Randazzo owns Jersey Devil Surf Shop with his brother, Joe, on the Atlantic City Boardwalk adjacent to Resorts Casino Hotel. They will hostthe fifth annual Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation Freeze for A Cause contest at Atlantic City's Steel Pier on Feb. 22. Dean Randazzo also has plans to spend several weeks on the North Shore of Hawaii this winter coaching young surfers.

The Hall of Fame is a who's-who of East Coast Surfing, full of pioneers, media professionals, board builders and international stars. Honored with Randazzo were Floridian and female national champ Christel Roever Sailor, influential artist Mike Nemnick, photographer Alan Margolis, ASP head judge Mike Martin, former World Tour surfer Shea Lopez, top competitor and longboard shaper Greg Mungel, influential board builder Donnie Mulhern, and Wave Riding Vehicles' founder Les Shaw.

16th Annual Transworld Skateboard Awards

16th Annual Transworld Skateboarding Awards
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014
Long Beach, CA
Nominees and details to follow

The Readers’ Choice Award is special because it’s the only award chosen by YOU. This year we picked seven skaters who killed it in 2013 to be the nominees for you to vote on. Check them out below, then click on over to cast your vote. See who wins at the 16th Annual TransWorld SKATEboarding Awards going down January 7 in Long Beach, California.

2013 TWS Readers’ Choice Nominees:
Brandon Westgate
Chris Cole
Evan Smith
Ishod Wair
Mark Suciu
Silas Baxter-Neal
Wes Kremer

Northfield Gold Coast Home for sale.

Relocating to FL.

5 minutes from OC and margate beaches.

Triple Lot private 100% fenced in yard.

Charming Dutch-Colonial beautifully upgraded stucco home in the most desirable Northfield neighborhood. Screen porch overlooking your private fenced oversized 130' x 125' property with mature plantings. Hi-end designer kitchen with Bosch appliances. New multi-zoned HVAC system and roof. LR with stone fireplace, large DR and Florida room. Arched doorways throughout. Hardwood and ceramic tile floors throughout. Sweet mastersuite. Enjoy the finished basement with bar. New hi-efficiency washer & dryer. 

For more info please call: 609-703-5071 ask for Fred

Woodward at Copper to Celebrate New Half Million Dollar Skatepark Remodel Thanksgiving Weekend

Woodward at Copper to Celebrate New Half Million Dollar Skatepark Remodel Thanksgiving Weekend Via Malakye Nov. 25, 2013 (COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo.) – The Woodward at Copper Barn, will celebrate the completion of its 19,400 square foot skatepark facility renovation this Turkey Day weekend with a REMIX event that is open to the public. The $500,000 renovation comes complete with an additional 4,000 square feet of skateable terrain.  Pro and AM skate and BMX riders Curren Caples, Louie Lopez, Zach Warden, Morgan Wade, Gary Young, and Jono Schwan will be hanging out all weekend long hosting free sessions, demos and meet and greets for all guests in attendance.  Members of the U.S. Snowboard and U.S. Freeskiing teams will be there for the snow events too. Friday, November 29: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. – GoPro Yam Jam (Rail Jam) - Center Village 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Santa’s Workshop: Create-a-Skate - Woodward Cage Saturday, November 30: 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Meet & Greet with Denver Nuggets Mascot Rocky 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Woodward Barn open for FREE public sessions 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Pro BMX Demo at the Woodward Barn 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Pro Skate Demo at the Woodward Barn 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. – VIP/Athlete meet and greet at the Woodward Barn 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Santa Sesh: Open Rail Session, Snowcat Parade, Tree Lighting and photos with Shreddin’ Santa in Center Village 8 p.m. – Fireworks in Center Village 8:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. – Concert and After-Party at the Woodward Barn Sunday, December 1: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. – FREE Kidz Skate jam at the Woodward Barn 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Woodward Barn FREE public sessions

Stoke Surfboards made in USA

Well here goes, the move is on and Florida here we come!
Met the owner of Stoke Surfboards while in Florida on vacation and was very impressed with his product!
Look for more from Stoke and Mike real soon!

Updates as I get them.
See you in the Line-up!