This is a picture of Charlie and me about 4 years ago at his shop down here in the Sugar Mill. I used to sand for the shop (Jeff Johnson) in front of Charlie's then got lucky one day and he had a board for me to polish. I stayed at Charlie' shop for 8 years. I don't think Charlie knew what to make of this little sander kid, but he let me do some work and I just never really left. I learned so much from that little shop about making surfboards, I wonder what would have happend if he hadn't been there. Charlie was always up for an experiment or searching for a new technique to improve boards. I've seen every type of board get ripped apart in his shop. Jamie Mitchlle's paddle board for the Molokai Race (He Wins it). Wavestorms get dismantled and re foiled. Garret's Wave Jet boards get an overhaul. My favorite boards were making Andy Iron's red rising sun quiver. Charlie has sanded for just about every shaper on Oahu at one time or another, and I couldn't be more stoked to work for anyone else. Techniques like sanding the deck and rails first to get that true bottom and sharp edge in the tail. Foiling fillets on glass on fins. Making your own sanding pads out of "plates". Sanding flat and true to the shape was the most important thing.
Charlie is the man. His works speaks for himself. He still is out at Sunset every chance he gets. Always riding something different, always catching good waves and riding boards too small or to big. Charlie encourage me when I started trying new glassing techniques, if it wasn't for him this whole Two Crows thing wouldn't exist. ( some how he managed to keep my crow laminents around the shop for 2 years).
Thank You Charlie
-n
