5'5" Fish by Da' Goose Surfboards of Imperial Beach, Ca

Jeff Wallis · Post by **Jeff Wallis** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:47 pm

Hello my name is Jeff Wallis and I am new to the forums. I grew up in Imperial Beach, California and as a young kid in the 70's knee boarded the waters of San Diego county mostly. I joined the Marine Corps in 1980 and was off to see the world which pretty much ended my surfing.

Well I spent the next 28 years either on active duty or working as a civilian for the Marine Corps until last April when I retired and moved back to IB to care for my Mom of 83 who is in bad health. That being said I get about 15 hours a week out of the house and an old time knee board buddy hooked me up with a 5'8" Fish quad fin with a deal of a life time 200.00!

So I have gotten back into knee boarding and when I have time enjoy my short sessions. I recently got together with an oldtime family friend and local surfboard builder Jon Strebler aka Da' Goose and he is building me a 5'5" fish similar to the board I had in the 70's and it's coming along nicely.

I have also gotten into surf photography as well now that I am back home and run a blog called Beach & Surflife which has alot of my camera work along with the build in progress of my new knee board. Take a look when ya get a chance and let me know what ya think?

http://beachandsurflife.blogspot.com/

Glad I found this site and happy to be back on the water on a knee board again! It was my passion as a young teenager growing up in a fairly rough beach town with no money to speak of so I hope to regain that passion at the ripe young age of (51) lol!

Thanks for listening to me rant! Hope to someday meet up with some of you here to share some waves and stories and maybe one day I will get brave enough to compete if they have a dinosaur class!

Take care,

Jeff Wallis

kidrock · Post by **kidrock** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:19 pm

Sounds like somebody needs to be introduced to Capt. Chris...

Welcome aboard, Jeff. Always nice to meet another IB kneerider. Grew up in La Mesa but lived in IB for a few years after I graduated in 1980. I'm sure we probably crossed paths at one time or another, I surfed Descanso and Boca Rio almost exclusively from '78-'88...when I wasn't in Rosarito or other points south. Back then, "Craig" and "Novak" were the boards in the local waters.

I'm pretty much landlocked now except for the occasional few coastal trips

Lotsa guys our age to hook up with, just ask.

Jeff Wallis · Post by **Jeff Wallis** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:57 pm

Thanks for the welcome and Im sure we did pass one another in the past. I used to love surfing the inside shorebreak at the Boca Rios and when ditching school on some days with great off shore winds and good south swells rode some of the best waves ever and got plenty of time getting shacked!

You know I have a 5'8" Novak quad fin now that I am riding and lookin forward to my new board. Jay and Dave were both big time guys back then as were the Duck (Mike Richardson) and the Da' Goose (Jon Strebler).

Some of my old knee boarding crew here in IB were people like Glenn Gould, Steve Petty, Joe Ellis and others that names have slipped over time.

If ya get down this way this summer lemme know, maybe we can hookup for some waves and a cold coke or coffee and shoot the bull!

Take care and thanks for the welcome!!

Jeff

KEL · Post by **KEL** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:30 pm

hey Jeff. welcome back and thanks for your service...............take care of your mom and enjoy the surf!!!!!!!!!!!! KEL

Jeff Wallis · Post by **Jeff Wallis** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:39 pm

Thanks Kel !!!!

Jeff

greg "swivel" · Post by **greg "swivel"** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:56 pm

Welcome Back Jeff !! Semper Fi !!

Hey man I can relate to your stoke being part of this "Fraternity" or "Brootherhood of fellow Kneeloz,after being outta the water for nearly 7 yearz myself(Vega$)and then getting wet again I felt like a dinasourus (extinct or diing breed) az I'm almost 50 and felt like the only kneeboarder left in the line up,or so I thought (I do surf alone, alot+ anyway

....)....turnz out I'm just old or er...then one day at my home break in Dec.... the 9th to be exact,LoL!I look over and see not only 1 but a crew of 5 other ripping kneeloz getting shacked on some pretty sick Southside Seal Beach Heaving,Hissing,Grinderz!!! Turnz out I Know "Ler" and did'nt even know he waz a kneelo!!He and Max B and I were cuttin it up and they introduced me to a few of the crew and invited me to check out this site.......I did and saw some great stories from all over this watery globe,and some great Pix that Tom Backer("Mutiny") shot of that daze session,I waz hooked at "wecome" from that day foward!!!Itz haz truely changed my life az far az the frienshipz and truely some of the greatest and most generous and rippin crew of kneeloz in the world az theze post and formatz for PIX, information,cutting edge inovative,and progressive designz,and humor and personality az I have not experienced sinced my earlier yearz...I also share that I am a VETERAN and Navy Diver for Life and waz stationed and trained and lived on the
Spec Warefare/S.E.A.L. Anphib Base in Coronado, in the 80'z and surfed La Jolla & I.B. to San Miguel, and most pointz.reefz & beyond, regularly and am so STOKED to be part of and reunited with our fellow kneelo breathern!Sooo welcome aboard and I hope to see you in the line up one day and share some of the stoke!!! and az an after thought Im not nor are any of us extinct or even that we're almost all 40'z and up+... so itz up to us to set an example for the gromz comming up that have been blessed to go deep and and penitrate,and experience the stoke and the art/craft of Kneeboarding!
Thanx for your serving and being"ALWAYZ FAITHFUL" SEMPER FIDELIS"

p.s. wishing your Mumz well, she'll be in my Prayerz

Jeff Wallis · Post by **Jeff Wallis** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:51 am

Thanks Greg!

I really appreciate the warm welcome here and hope to share some waves and stoke with as many as you fellow kneelos as possible! I would also like to come up on days that are short and maybe just do some photography and get some really good shots of you guys.

There are very few kneelos left down this far south and Im always only shooting the standup guys and or paddlesurf and spongers.

Thanks for your service as well bro and you were stationed just up the road from my home town!

Take care bro

Jeff

Fossil Man · Post by **Fossil Man** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:34 am

Welcome Jeff, and God Bless You for your service to your mom. This site rocks, great crew of fellow kneelos; highlights one of the reasons why it's great to be a kneeboarder ! Dinosaurs ? maybe, but at least we're not fossils. Stay Stoked.

Fossil Man · Post by **Fossil Man** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:35 am

Welcome Jeff, and God Bless You for your service to your mom. This site rocks, great crew of fellow kneelos; highlights one of the reasons why it's great to be a kneeboarder ! Dinosaurs ? maybe, but at least we're not fossils. Stay Stoked.

fooj · Post by **fooj** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:10 am

Love the booty shots on your blogspot.

Jeff Wallis · Post by **Jeff Wallis** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:28 pm

Fossil Man and Fooj,

Thanks for the welcome bros and fooj the booty shots are always a nice addition to any surfing blog right brother??

I hope to start to meet some of you guys and get some KNEELO shots to put up here and my blog and to share with you all FREE of charge.

I only had a few pix of me as a kid growing up here in IB knee boarding and have all been lost due to old girlfriends etc. LOL!! Its nice to be able have pix of us doing what we so enjoy doing only like a knee boarder can!!!!!

Peace Bros

Jeff