Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

Hello All,

I am looking to purchase either a Parkes Tri Mush board or Blast Stub Vector to ride small socal summer surf.

I am leaning towards the Blast . What do you think?

Hi Submariner - I am not qualified to talk about the Blast board but Tony Bonner from Cornwall has just got a 5' 8" x 23 3/4 Parkes tri fin mush board & can't stop raving about it - just so much fun - he's having a blast!

..

Just a quick note on the comment about the Friar Tuck vs. Parkes label...

At some point David Parkes took the initiative to put his name on the boards he was shaping just like most shapers do. David trained under Peter Ware (Friar Tuck) where he learned and progressed. In good faith and to the legacy, he still has rights to the name but in reality it is now Parkesy's hands shaping Friar Tuck labels...

There are countless others who deserve mention in the modern day kneeboard progression who in the fevor took part in pushing design limits (some beyond the edge )

So, in short, yes it is one shaper - with tradition and heritage in mind - perservance, heart and sole. Friar Tuck... Parkes.

This goes back to the younger days of the Aussies where so much enthusiasm brought our sport to reap the benefits of the progressive boards we ride today. Sure we would have ended up where we are today with Bud shaping Blast boards, the South Africans taking leaps in design and the many others (I know there are many) who contribute to current boards shapes. Take note that each of us now all benefit the shaping history of kneeboarding (past and present).

Stub Vectors, mush boards, guns, tri's, quads, penta's... push the limits as the shapers have done their part so now it's up to us the riders! Put these boards to the test... see a lip? Think about going 2 feet above it.

If we ride it they, will build it and with feedback build us a tomorrows board today. If we take a board to our local stand up shaper they will copy yesterdays designs... is this progression???

Cheers to the kneeboard shapers!

I think it might be to do with the fact that David Parkes sold Friar Tuck to Albert Whiteman when he went on his world travels in the 80s. He then shaped under his Parkes label.
After the tragic death of Albert, David bought Friar Tuck back but kept both labels going.

In fact - that is Tony's board in the above photo! - He bought it from our stock - photo from KSUK site!

..

I've had this in my quiver for about 4 years and find it to be a great board. I'm sure Bud's got some different tweaks on the design but as far as the outline I find it to be a winner. I'd love to hear feedback on the Stub V from anyone riding one.

Hi Beeline.
I think the point you are trying to make is branding. Most products these days have a brand name. Even some companies have a brand name - McDonalds Virgin are examples. Brands are a marketing tool. They tell the consumer something about the product with out the need for spelling it out. For example, when you buy a Porche you know you are buying a well made fast car. Infact you are buying an image (but thats beside the point). So when you buy a Parkes board you know you are buying something that has been tried and tested and developed over many years. Well, thats what the academics would argue.

As for Parkes MUSH board. I think they are great fun. I have been surfing a MUSH for the last month or so. It is very fast and loose. I rode it in 2 feet beach break today. I was able to do floaters and cut backs all over the place when the best the long boarders could do was to pump down the line. I could even pick up waves way before them. I dont see ne riding anything else for the rest of the summer.
Tony B

I would also argue that David Parkes has more experience with poor surf than Bud. I have watched Parkes surfing small onshore conditions in France in the worlds - he ripped on a mush type board. Buds is a great surfer but only surfs good waves. Sensible chap.

I know what you are going to say - "Bud gets feed back from others" true but its not the same. "Horses for courses"

DAM IT, JUST ENJOY YOURSELF AND FORGET ALL THIS CRAP.

signed: WOODEN SPOON.

..

Short board with lots of float in the right places. Powering with his arms and kicking his legs I've seen Tony stealing outside swells from longboarders. His Parkes mush board does go well carving up waves that don't exist, but I would also love to try a Stubb Vector

In response to Tony's statement that I only surf good waves.

NOT TRUE

Tony was here during 2 weeks of some of the best the North Shore can dish out. Even so it only had one predominent swell direction, WNW. There were very many other places to surf that he and the other attendees never ever saw. There is a vast variety of waves here that need other types of swell than the WNW that dominated the entire Gathering 2 weeks. (Not that anyone was complaining, it was superb).
He only saw me surf good waves because there weren't any bad ones.
Also I didn't get in the water as much as I could have due to running myself ragged attending to the attendees. Getting everyone else surf they could handle, fixing dings, etc. This is not a complaint, it was my pleasure to assist everyone in getting the most from their trip.

We get every imaginal type of wave here year round. This May has been incredible.
(It's been 10+ North for the last 3 days! Laniakea was PHENOMINAL!!!)

During the summer we surf weak sloppy onshore mush garbage 85% of the time. (The only good thing is that you don't need a wetsuit.)
It's so crappy longboard surferes don't surf it! It's not even a small swell, just wind slop. You have to have a mush model or you don't go anywhere.
The East shore is 15 minutes away. After 3 days worth of trade-winds it starts to get ridable. I can hop over there and get a 2 hours grovel everyday if I need. There are far better waves on the South Shore but it's an hours drive plus at least 20 minutes to find parking.

I rarely ever surf the South Shore. I did once this year in April, the first time in 4 years!
In the summer, I find it more fun to surf onshore windswell slop, with a few guys, rather than surf real good South swell surf with 80-100 guys.
With a South swell you get maybe 3 shoulder high waves a set every 20 minutes. It's ussually the same couple of HUGE Hawaiian mokes riding 12' tankers that get those waves. Anything leftover is fought over by 80 guys.

Where as riding waist high windswell on our East shore, you have consistent waves all over the place. Not much of a wall but lots of wishy-washy sections to slash, float, jump, bank and smack. The Stubb Vector is invaluable for taking advantage of it.

When deciding which design to choose, think about your approach and riding technique.

Parkes designs have less rocker than the Blast. That gets them going and the back of the front fins are set nearly 20" up with strong angles. This lets you whip off a lot of tight turns.

The Blast has more rocker and the back of the front fins set 17" up. The fin angles are set to "propell" you when you push your turns in gutless waves. The rocker lets you change directions quickly. The feel is more drivey than the Parkes.

Want to swoop a lot of turns easily? Get the Parkes.
Want to bolt off your turns with authority? Get the Blast.
Both will do the job as well as the other.

You might also consider how it will feel compared to your other boards.
Continuity in your quiver is nice.

It all boils down to what you want to feel in your surfing.
Bud

Hey submariner - come on then - tell us watcha gonna get - don't keep us in suspense!