For Stokefest 2023, I was invited to create an activity for the B0ardside booth, a collective of four artists, myself included. We were set up near Ocean Beach in San Francisco, so I leaned into the vibe and made a kinetic art piece inspired by the classic Snake in a Box toy. Except in mine, you pull a surfboard and a wave pops up. Surf’s up, surprise style.

I always start project like this by prototyping in cardboard. My first attempt was janky. Too much friction, awkward angles, but that’s what prototypes are for.

Popsicle sticks turned out to be the magic ingredient for the guide rails. Once it worked smoothly, I created graphics for the surfer and the wave and printed them out.

Then came the kits. Twenty of them. All hand-made. Ten pieces each. I even pre-glued the tricky bits to make it easier.

We got our booth setup. Everything was set. And then the kids arrived.

Tiny kids. Very tiny kids.

Turns out, the automata kit was better suited for kids 10 and up. Some parents dropped their little ones off and vanished. The glue I bought was cheap and dried out. Lesson learned: spring for the good glue. Still, a few got built. One parent stayed and helped, which was a gift.

Later in the day, a teacher friend asked if she could take some kits for her class. That moment made it all worth it.

Next time? Something simpler. Maybe a mini zine. Or I’d just hand out the kits with instructions and a link to a video. But I loved doing it. I love making things no one’s ever seen before. And I like sharing that with others.

Even if the glue betrays me.

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