Tim Welsh Shares Hamboards Stoke from Flow Line Surf Shop

My name is Tim Welsh, I'm 34 and live in Lemoore, California. 

I own the local Surf / Skate / Tattoo / Paint Studio enterprise and I help out at Kelly Slaters Surf Ranch.  My surf shop is called Flow Line.  I love to work with the local kids and work hard to build stoke for our local community... If you're coming to Lemoore, look me up! 

Growing up in Lemoore has always been awesome. It became even more awesome because Kelly Slater recently built a 30 million dollar perfect wave facility less than 2 miles from my back door of my house. I decided to open a skateboard and surf shop to help facilitate our new found guests from all over the world.   

While opening the shop, a friend of mine (James Brooks) mentioned that he was really into Hamboards surfskates. I did my research and started sending emails out to Hamboards.  Nobody wrote back or called until one day, I got totally random telephone call from Donny.  It was funny... He said that he was completely fried, and felt like making a new friend, and he remembered my emails.  He just needed to escape the monotony for a minute and I was that guy, that day.  

 

We hit it off great!

I explained my situation to Donny and how my FLOW/LINE shop absolutely needed Hamboards. Right after the call, Donny sent me 2 Hamboards a Fish and a Pescadito for demonstration use.   Shortly after they arrived, I received a call from the Surf Ranch and they asked if I could go do some work for them. I quickly loaded my stuff, Hamboards, and headed out to the ranch.

 

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Going into the ranch is always an amazing experience. It's like Disneyland for professional surfers and many other athletes. As the gates slowly peeled open exposing the extremely fancy machine that forces the wave I hurried into the ranch not knowing what was next. I jumped out of my car and began looking for my contact the assistant manager. She told me hang out by the south spa until she could arrive.

Patiently waiting to find out what I was going to do that day I got to watch the first few early morning waves. On that first wave was 12-year-old Kai Kushner. A few waves turned into about 20 and I was still patiently waiting,... but also amazed at how this young kid was so good on such a massive powerful wave.

 

The waves died down and the surfers exited the water, it was break time. 

After a few moments Kai came from the locker area and planted his attention on the Hamboards.  He had never seen anything like these before.  I offered him to ride one and he took off!!!   He instantly started pumping the Pescadito around Kelly Slaters property like it was somehow attached to him.

 

I spent the next 4 hours playing on Hamboards with the Kelly Slater Surf Ranch employees and the Kai Kushner family. This was so fun for the employees and the family. 

 

 

It's like magic when you can get that many people in one place all enjoying the same thing, learning something new, and watching how fast they progress. 

I took a ton of pictures and video and forwarded them off to Donny and his team.  He was so stoked for me and the fun, natural experience I had.  If you think about it, he's buried in a warehouse, shipping boards, and dealing with all kinds of mundane stuff...  while I'm hanging out at The Ranch, having all the fun with his Hamboards.  I swear he was genuinely happy for me.  He even offered to send more boards, just to spread the stoke.  

Being close friends with the employees of the surf ranch gave us an awesome opportunity to share the Hamboards with everyone that visits. Living here and being able to attend the events I am always able to bring the Hamboards with me. All the pro surfers always ask me to ride them, of course I let them! 

 

 

Now we have them in our own store and we get to share them with the community. There are a few Hamboards that stay at the surf ranch locker room as well.  Trust me, they get used daily. The interest is very high on these Hamboards surfskates because they are massive and radical, just like Kelly's Wave.

 

Recently in November and December of 2019 I was able to work with Abraham Paskowitz and Donny to pump the brand up more. I got a hold of a friend (Rob Ferrier) that had already secured a date at the Surf Ranch and he amazingly offered me some waves. I told my friend that if we could... I'd like my crew at Hamboards to participate in my place. Donny sent over Frankie Seely and we got to have the opportunity of a lifetime at the Surf Ranch.  In a bitter sweet irony, Rob got himself a concussion early in the morning, so he had to sit-out most of his own waves...  Rob was beyond gracious and cheered for Frankie as she crushed.  Even Frankie's Dad Mitt got to surf!!! Father and Daughter surfed the same wave as a duo!!!  

 

Airbrush Studio - Custom Painted Hamboards

Since I have become part of the Hamboard Family I have had many irons in different fires. I know also have a 100% fully sponsored airbrush studio where we teach painting classes. With the help of Donny we have been able to acquire some blank decks that we now offer a custom painted Hamboard class. This class is amazing! It is taught by professional sponsored airbrush artist Taylor Holmes and it gives each student the creativity selection of his/her own personal complete Hamboard.