Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

Well, I'm surfing various surfcraft, including the balsa singlefin pictured in the gallery, down here in Brevard County, FL. But the first place I ever surfed was at the mouth of the Au Sable river, on the western shore of Lake Huron. That was June of 1966. I think we may have surfed a paddleboard o...

Sorry...Eric did post the photo of my new balsa board...it's in the Miscellaneous Photo section, presently on page 4, I think. Sorry, Eric...Man O War pointed out to me that the photo was there...my mistake!

I gotta say, that does look like a really cool board! Congratulations! What is that model called? Does it have a special name, or is it just called a tri-fin round pin, or what?

Hey surfhorn, ...just wanted you to be aware that Newport Paipo was a different company than El Paipo. There were many paipos being made back in the day, but I think these two companies were at the forefront, even though many regular surfboard comapanies also offered paipo/kneeboards on the side. I ...

Well?...How did your board turn out, kage? What was it like on the borrowed Freeline? How do the two boards compare? Just wonderin'.

KenM - I did get a Greenough 4a fin...red, 10"...and it is an improvement over the Velzy fin. It has more base, and seems to get more drive out of turns and down-the-line speed. It looks real good, and has that cool Greenough fighter plane logo...very suitable for this board, as I had already c...

Thanks KenM, for that info...I'll check it out! I got the board yesterday, and it looks awesome...it will be in the water soon...pics ASAP...tumak

Aloha KenM, It's interesting that you mention that Surfer's Journal article. That's my favorite issue! My new board is close to that balsa spoon Greenough had before the Velo...but it's not as thin! For anyone who's ever seen one of George Robinson's boards, it definitely has that Robinson look. It'...

Good post, willli...no worries; go for it! Interesting point about the shortboarders crouching and grabbing rail...my railgrabbing experience is on 10-foot-plus single fin Volan equipment, but I think I see your point. It's the same in regular surfing: those who seek the full-throttle high-performan...

Aloha! ...gotta agree with you, Flexman. Anyone who's spent time standing on a regular surfboard (for me, 37 years this month!) knows about weighting and unweghting and it's obvious power in regular surfing. It seems to me that kneeriding involves something I might call rotational leaning to simulat...

We're about to shape my new little stick - my "Balsa Spoonfish" - it's going to be 5'1", and a single-fin (a 10" True Ames Velzy High-Performance). I believe it's going to be awesome...I'm almost 6'2" and normally weigh in around 175. I have a 4'6" twin-fin paipo I've b...

Wow...that thing is out of this world cool.

Oh yeah, Flexman...thanks for your awesome information and spirit...my ancient blood is bubbling, too! -tumak

THIS is an interesting topic. I'm going to be in the shaping room this week with George Robinson shaping a new balsa board, presently on paper as a twin-fin fish...but I just can't seem to shake the strong urge to make it a single-fin. True Ames has made available a fin for Velzy (one of which I hav...

Yep, balsa has drawbacks, but the plusses include its natural beauty and its spiritual "rightness." And, it's cool to ride something that smacks of the early days of surfing and our Hawai'ian roots. It just sort of feels Polynesian to ride balsa. I have many foam and fiberglass boards whic...