Phantasm: A Performance Daily Driver Comes to Life
Meet the Phantasm — a 6'1" performance daily driver built for speed, control, and everyday versatility, finished with a bold lightning-bolt colorway and glassed by Stretch Boards in Santa Cruz.
There is something special about watching a board move from tape lines and raw color to a finished, rideable surfboard. The Phantasm started as a performance-minded daily driver and ended up with one of the boldest visual designs I’ve done so far.
At 6'1" x 21.1" x 2.75" and 38.76 liters, the Phantasm sits in that sweet spot between paddle confidence and performance intent. The goal was not to build a groveler or a step-up, but a board that could cover a lot of normal surf days while still feeling alive underfoot.
Board Specs
| Board | Phantasm |
|---|---|
| Length | 6'1" |
| Width | 21.1" |
| Thickness | 2.75" |
| Volume | 38.76L |
| Rocker | Medium-high |
| Entry Rocker | Low-medium, turned up at the nose tip |
| Intended Use | Performance daily driver |
| Glassing | Stretch Boards, Santa Cruz, CA |
Rocker and Design Intent
The Phantasm has a medium-high rocker, but the entry is kept in a low-medium range before turning up at the very tip of the nose. That was intentional.
I wanted a board that would still paddle and enter waves without feeling overly curved or sticky, but with enough rocker to handle steeper sections and allow tighter directional changes. The slight lift at the nose tip gives it some forgiveness when the wave gets a little more vertical or when taking off late.
In other words, the Phantasm is meant to be a daily driver with some bite.
Not too flat.
Not too extreme.
Just enough curve to keep things interesting.
The Color Work
The artwork went through a few stages. It started with a taped-off lightning-bolt layout, with the white foam left exposed through the center and the color wrapping around the rails and panels.
The finished bottom has a clean white center channel framed by blue and teal panels, with black hand-drawn Posca-style outlines giving the board a rough, graphic, almost comic-book feel.
The deck pushes the color harder, with a bright fade running nose to tail and the lightning shape cutting through the center. The final look feels fast even when the board is sitting still.
Glassing by Stretch Boards
The glassing was done by the amazing team at Stretch Boards in Santa Cruz, CA.
They brought the whole thing together beautifully. The artwork, color, logos, fin boxes, and finish all came out clean, and the board has that polished, professional feel that makes it hard to believe it started as a garage project.
Big thanks to the Stretch crew for making the Phantasm real.
First Impression
The Phantasm feels like a board built for everyday progression — something with enough foam to keep sessions fun, but with enough performance DNA to push harder turns, steeper takeoffs, and faster lines.
I’m excited to see how it feels in the water.