Why do we hate our own shapers so much?

hart · Post by **hart** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:26 am

Craig wrote:
Jamie, I stand corrected.

>snipped<

No disrespect intended.

stilL a gRoM

cRaIg(rom)

none taken whatsoever, mate

sweet

jamie..that was a very good post

Dan..you are way too kind!

I've said it before, surfhorn for governor..

on topic

go and rip that FREELINE mate

and continue the rich Norcal influence that CA has given us

off topic

and I do mean ALL of us..irrespective of zipcode

hart

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 1:28 pm

W.G. Facenda · Post by **W.G. Facenda** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:19 pm

what's interesting is "modern surfing" is all about swing around late drops.You rarely see modern pro's doing anything but very late takeoffs.They also ride boards on average, that have less volume than the average kneeboard being ridden in 2006.To be honest i think that kneeboarding is better suited to a younger person.It's always been respected for charging rediculously hollow waves and freefall take offs and very fit quick riders.

toofast3 · Post by **toofast3** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 2:56 pm

John.... I know a while back someone did a poll to see what the avg age among us. I don`t remember what the outcome was but I can tell it wasn`t a youngster. Also alot of guys like riding longer boards because they can get into the wave sooner. Who doen`t live for the late take off. Its pure thrill and I`m 46.

Jerry · Post by **Jerry** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:16 pm

[quote="john"]To be honest i think that kneeboarding is better suited to a younger person.[/quote]
But who among us has not witnessed the aging footboarder whom once standing can still surf quite competently but unfortunately ( due to age, bad back, etc. ) takes the drop and continues to ride on his knees, struggling for a good twenty yards before finally becoming fully erect. (

You know what I mean. ) Is not the kneeboard the perfect vehicle for the aging ( but young at heart ) surfer whom yearns to still ride better waves, take off later, get barreled, and generally carve about in a fashion not normally associated with stand up surfers of the same age group

kneelingBROTHA · Post by **kneelingBROTHA** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:21 pm

I'll try to add to the pool of young blood emerging in the sport. I'm going to try hard this winter to see if I can learn to ride both the infamous Blue Bottle without swinfins and my tiny fish (I never ended up selling it) with swimfins. I'm going to have to paddle the fish like a paipo or spoon to get it going, but it'll be pretty epic to be surfing a 2" thick, 5'4", 20" wide board on a 6' wave at my height and weight 6'1"+, 260 lb. I'll probably have to get used to it at Hag's or somethin. I'm not sure I can get used to doing that at the hollow beachies around here as my initial step. Maybe? Regardless, I'm losing weight so I may be able to ride that tiny fish effeciently soon, as long as I use the "spoon" padding technique.

Bill E. · Post by **Bill E.** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:46 pm

"Is not the kneeboard the perfect vehicle for the aging ( but young at heart ) surfer whom yearns to still ride better waves, take off later, get barreled, and generally carve about in a fashion not normally associated with stand up surfers of the same age group?"

Im all with that Jerry. The only way to still do it at any old age is the KB. Just the exersise of paddlin and kickin will do it. And keepin the body square and not all twisted like a surfer, will keep the knees and hips. The knees will never give out if they are used and not abused on hard boards.

As for the stoke, there is the late takeoff and the deep slot. The older standups just never go there and never look back to where they could have been. They like it better way better with an easy drop and way out out on the shoulder.

BudWeiser · Post by **BudWeiser** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:50 pm

kneelingBROTHA wrote:I'll try to add to the pool of young blood emerging in the sport. I'm going to try hard this winter to see if I can learn to ride both the infamous Blue Bottle without swinfins and my tiny fish (I never ended up selling it) with swimfins. I'm going to have to paddle the fish like a paipo or spoon to get it going, but it'll be pretty epic to be surfing a 2" thick, 5'4", 20" wide board on a 6' wave at my height and weight 6'1"+, 260 lb. I'll probably have to get used to it at Hag's or somethin. I'm not sure I can get used to doing that at the hollow beachies around here as my initial step. Maybe? Regardless, I'm losing weight so I may be able to ride that tiny fish effeciently soon, as long as I use the "spoon" padding technique.

The never ending saga of one mans determination
better than the 'Truman Show'
Will KneelingBrotha eva' become a kneeboarder?
Stay tuned!
Since Nov 30, 2004. TM. All Rights Reserved.

kneelingBROTHA · Post by **kneelingBROTHA** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:06 pm

BudWeiser wrote:
kneelingBROTHA wrote:I'll try to add to the pool of young blood emerging in the sport. I'm going to try hard this winter to see if I can learn to ride both the infamous Blue Bottle without swinfins and my tiny fish (I never ended up selling it) with swimfins. I'm going to have to paddle the fish like a paipo or spoon to get it going, but it'll be pretty epic to be surfing a 2" thick, 5'4", 20" wide board on a 6' wave at my height and weight 6'1"+, 260 lb. I'll probably have to get used to it at Hag's or somethin. I'm not sure I can get used to doing that at the hollow beachies around here as my initial step. Maybe? Regardless, I'm losing weight so I may be able to ride that tiny fish effeciently soon, as long as I use the "spoon" padding technique.
The never ending saga of one mans determination
better than the 'Truman Show'
Will KneelingBrotha eva' become a kneeboarder?
Stay tuned!
Since Nov 30, 2004. TM. All Rights Reserved.

I would say that's unfair. I am open minded about my equipment and go through stages. I might be jonesin to bodysurf one day. I might want some hollow shorey pits on my bodyboard another. And then I might want to get the kneeboard out there for awhile consistently.

I think if you pigeon hole yourself into one type of board or riding, you'll end up being more dissatisfied with surfing in general than you would be otherwise. People often lament about kneeboards being too slow in small surf. Its been more injuries than most anything else (besides money) that has kept me off a kneeboard. If I go back ON a kneeboard, I'm risking permanent damage to my left leg. But my greater worry than whether or not I'm out on a kneeboard, bodyboard, or just out there bodysurfing, is if I'm having FUN! If I think I'm going to have more fun one day kneeboarding, than so be it, and I'll be a kneeboarder that day.

But as for the saga to become a "kneeboarder"? No--if there's one thing I'm aiming for its to become a "waterman"; watermen appreciate all types of surf in all of its forms and pick the best suited weapon to attack it.

But to become a BETTER kneeboarder--YES!

And as far as full-time kneeboarding, some days call for a longboard (if you have one) or just muckin around with your swimfins, bodysurfing like a tourist, and other days you know you're going to snap your kneelo so you might as well sponge it, because those are generally cheaper to replace if they get creased and the stringer breaks.

I'm not a pro, or sponsored, nor do I own a SKIL planer, a bunch of blanks and a glassing crew, so when it gets hollow and VERY shallow, there's not much point to snapping the few boards you have.

Never close your mind to a particular board!

One of the best sponsored surfers in the south bay (Bobby Kithcart, sponsored sponger for Custom X, Body Glove, and Spyder Surf) just rode a Solomanson mat yesterday, and at the beginning of the summer was longboarding full-time in the flatness. That's what I'm aiming for--an open mind, & good times.

PS--Ditch the alias if you are going to make fun of someone.

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:50 pm

Headwax. · Post by **Headwax.** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:52 am

Hullo Lads and Lassies,

This is related, almost, to a bunch of stuff. Concaves, diversity, and standup shapers making kneelos.

Its also a snapshot of grass roots (thanks xmas) surfing in Oz -the land were we don't hate our shapers.

recently we had a teams contest here in Oz. Nothing extravagant, just good fun, grass roots surfing. (Though there were 2 world champions competing - so maybe it was just more than grass roots

).

There were a few things that struck me about the comp..

I don't think it matters what team won.

But I do think that it matters that:

The winning team had a diversity of board manufacturers.

Two excellent boards by Prof Hart, one excellent board by Parkes, one by Dale Ponsford, 3 by Badens Smiths shaper, one by Wayne Hutch (Neon).

Of the other teams there was a preponderence of

1) brand x in one -all excellent boards
2) brand y in the other team.- also excellent boards

In the winning team 2 boards had hart's bottom contours. (not that bottom)

Yet 5 Boards had through concave.

One board had ???? (the ponsford one)

Of the two world champions present both had through concaves.

And both had their boards made by a standup surfer.

Yet both knew exactly what they wanted (well Matt Novo's dad did for Matt) and they designed the boards themselves.. IE both boards were designed by current and ex world champs. I imagine they supervised the board shaping very carefully.

Draw your own conclusions.

But I think all these points are relevent..

By the way, we've just had a beautiful board by Drift enter the club.

Mel's promised to lend it

john - · Post by **john -** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 2:41 am

nice read wax - food for thought

kneelingBrotha - I think Budweiser got a point - you might need to get to the point

godspeed

cheers

dorje, aka john

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:44 am

OK. After this read I will get a 6' board. This will cause some of my earlyer comments to have a stink. The bait I am after is catching more waves. Thanks

wino · Post by **wino** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:18 am

The last second no paddle takeoff is alive and well. All you need is a little nose rocker to keep you from pearling. It's those last second turn and burn air drops and deep tubes that makes kneeboarding special. We can go where others can't.

kneelingBROTHA · Post by **kneelingBROTHA** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:03 am

dorje wrote:nice read wax - food for thought

kneelingBrotha - I think Budweiser got a point - you might need to get to the point

godspeed

cheers

dorje, aka john

Because I ride different boards...I'm an idiot? What was Budweiser's point? "Be a full time kneeboarder or don't kneeride at all?" What kind of point is that? I don't think I should force myself to do ride a board that isn't appropriate to the conditions or appropriate to my wallet (IE, I can't pay for snapped boards). If you can, more power to you, but I'm not in your shoes.

Personally, I think its stupid to pigeonhole yourself, dedication to something is one thing, but using something exclusively because its "core" is just nonsense.

Do people make fun of others that ride both long and short boards, single fins and twins, fishes and thrusters, depending on conditions? IE, who makes fun of Rob Machado for that?

Oh, but I see. I sponge a lot and try different boards, so I'm different.

B/S!

I think you're missing the point here.

Diversity is great. Being a snob for any type of board isn't.