FLASHPOINT

[kripchik]

Steeno

With Albert tackling all those extra curriculum studies, he might need a holiday, don't want him to wear himself out!! He he.

Cheers
Sophia

[hart]

Steeno,

I wish him luck..especially in the post-grad stuff.

So hard to organise from a mate's lounge room floor.

But, then again, you're with him in support!

Good on ya mate..and good on Albert. Study AND surf well..

[hart]

Hey kripchick..

Did you think about size and tail shape?

And don't forget..if you keep heading north from Jervis Bay..well, you find another kneeboard centre..the one that started the Sydney Revolution.

Only just need a bridge toll..and you're there.

Sydney or bust!

[kripchik]

Hey Bruce

Yeah I have thought about length and tail shape. I really don't think I would get anything bigger than 6'6", maybe somewhere between that and 6'2". At this stage I am only looking at going to Indo and perhaps Tahiti to check out the World titles. I'd probably go for a pin tail, but not really pinny like Kyle.

I would love to get a bit further North than Jervis bay. That was the first time I had really seen any of the NSW coastline. There are a lot more places I want to see, Sandon Point, Shark Island and Byron Bay, to name a few. Perhaps in June I will have the opportunity to drive down from Brisbane, after nationals. Maybe there will be a bit more swell.

Cheers
Sophia

[hart]

Sophia,

I'm pretty sure that Lukey uses Barry Bennett's foam..and he blows the longest kneeboard blank in OZ.

You will get 6' 5" (absolute) maximum out of a Bennett.

Any time surfers go bigger, you need to do something special (and expensive) with the blank to achieve it.

I don't know your height or weight, but I recon that a 6' 4" pinny would have to be a good bet..now you just gotta speak to Neil!

Bruce.

[kripchik]

Thanks Bruce,

Yeah I will endeavour to speak to Neil. I might be on the Island over the weekend, so I will at least check out his longer boards while I am there.

Cheers
Sophia

[WayneK]

Hey Bruce We finally got substantial swell here in So. Cal, west 8-15' faces here in Orange county and likely bigger in places north and south. Blacks in San Diego was probablly much bigger. When it's this big most of the local breaks close out because it's all beach break. Bolsa Chica State Beach was one of the few rideable local breaks; Ler knows his stuff! Bolsa does get good.

Anyway, I rode the Flashpoint 6'1" swallow thruster; very fast lots of drive and the extra "foam" (length/thicknes) made paddling into the waves easier. I surfed waves that were 8-12' tapering walls that were steep but not very hollow. I found my gun, thanks.

I'm interested in the fin boxes. I checked ou your sites here and your website but see no e-mail contact so I'll send you a messege on your KSUSA mailbox. Wayne

[hart]

Wayne,

Length can help with paddle speed in bigger waves.

I remember watching footage of Terry Fitz in the Duke at Sunset (1975?) and at times he didn't move from prone to standing up until he got to the (almond shaped) bottom of the wave.

Like, I've seen him 'take-off' (push up from his deck) at the SAME TIME that he is bottom turning..unbelievable stuff.

A lot of Aussie surfers rely on this approach at all times..because without flippers..it's the only approach you have.

Bruce.

PS TF took out the contest.

[kripchik]

Bruce,

I had a look at a couple of Neil's boards on the weekend, he had one pin tail and two swallow tails, ranging from 6'0 to 6'2. John spoke to him and he recommended a 6'0 or 6'1. But what fins should I look at? Are GR's with a GYU trailer enough for bigger stuff? (I found that GR's with a GS trailer is too loose, I just did huge tailslides all day, which meant at crucial times I dug the rail in too much.)

I picked up the "Kneeboard Island" video on the weekend and it showed just how pinny Kyle's board is, Crikey!! Does that help him with his off the lip manouvres and floaters, (I really like that part of his surfing).

Cheers
Sophia

[hart]

Sophia Hi,

I can't comment about the length here because I don't know how tall you are and stuff..but I can tell you that I have an order for a girl who rides six-o as her short board.

The length in semi-guns is proportionate to what you surf as a shortie..no sense in adding only one or maybe two inches....unless you have 3 or more boards for example.

I used to use Rusty rail fins, but I don't like the thickness in the tip so for the past couple of years now I use Al Merrick's almost exclusively. So does Farrer and the footage of Kyle also features Merricks on the rails.

I kinda feel Rustys in the water if you know what I mean..if they were fibreglass..I would have refoiled them after one surf.

The GS is tiny and only for small waves. My standard centre fin is a GX, but the GYU is a good centre fin for semi-guns. Good tip area and good foil..just like the Merricks.

And Kyle does come off the top extremely well. Most good contest surfers will all be good off the top..they search for the lip any time they can.

In those boards of Kyles, it wasn't so much the pin that you notice, it is the 'direction change' in his outline that accentuates the pin shape. And this is what gets him off the top so well.

The amazing thing about Kyle's surfing is that he does so much, with so little effort..he just glides from one situation to the other.

Hope that helps.

Bruce

[kripchik]

Bruce

I am 5'7 (but I tell people I am 5'10), I weigh between 70-78kg. The "Express" board I used to ride is about 5'6, it's the one I learnt on, and is about 20yrs old. It could handle surf up to 8'. My new board is about 5'10 swallow tail with a medium rocker. I haven't tried it in anything over 6', not enough swell yet! I have found that it handles steeper takeoffs and has a lot more speed than my old board.

Yeah Kyle is awesome to watch. I can only try harder!

Cheers
Sophia

[hart]

Sophia,

I kinda like the sound of 6' 2" coz it lets you keep a little width (and hence curve) in your outline.

Seeing you are going to a Sub-tropical area and that you are tall and slim..that length would let you pull a lot of unnecessary volume out of your profile.

And you would get great paddle entry over that length. Besides six-o just sounds too small..and well, six-one sounds like you couldn't make up your mind

Thanks for the posts on this thread.

Bruce

[kripchik]

Thanks for all your advice Bruce.

Sophia

[albert]

Sorry to interject in this matter. I believe that board prefference is a very personal thing...

However. It seems that Sofia is about the same size as I am. I am about 5'6" and weigh in at about 70 kgs.

It seems that whenever I rode Kyle's boards, who is as a matter of fact much taller than I am. I found them to be a bit loose, mainly due to the fin placement that I am used to...

Basically what I am suggesting is that you pay some attention to fin placement as it usually plays a critical part in the performance of a kneeboard.

P.S. My biggest board at the moment is only a 5' 11" and I rode it in some pretty big stuff, (I actually rode a copy of that board in 12 ft. winkipop, if that puts things into perspective).

Thanks
Albert

[surfhorn]

I've been experimenting this winter with various fins in my new 6'0" quad (I never thought that I'd be riding a KB over 5'6" - now, I'll never go shorter).

I'm using the Future System and found a pretty great set up during our last big swell (DOH +). The front set are the 5 inch, T1 512 (I believe they designate this as a 'fish' set up) and the rear set are the 4 3/4 inch AM2 475 (more rake in the fin). I may try a more rakier front set up for our larger winter swells but, all in all, this board just screams. I looks like it may end up as a stock shape at Freeline.

Its funny. It only took one wave with the new fin set up to tell that it was right on.

The only draw back: now I'm ready to move on and want to work on a new thruster template!

Dan