parallel rails

hansel · Post by **hansel** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:23 pm

saw a kb today with a unusual shape, it had the nose than went to a wide point going down the rails. than it had about 6 inches of straight rails going down than went into a regular squash tail. i didn't see the person who it belonged, so i couldnt ask questions. kind of looked like a retro longboard but squashed and cut. What is the purpose of the parallel rails? and do they work well on a kb?

Colin-

crippler · Post by **crippler** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:16 pm

Hi Hansel
Parrallell rails are designed to be used basically as a replacement for a stringer.used with a stringerless blank usually eps foam and epoxy resin.
most are carbon nowadays some are timber inlays.the end product is just as strong as long as its well constructed.the only real difference is the flex and the memory.they generally feel more buoyant but when loaded up with energy they flex from the rail not as central flex as stringer boards do.I`ve had one but have gone back to standard construction just for cost as i`m on my 10th board in 18 months

KenM · Post by **KenM** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:31 am

Crippler, aren't you confusing parallel rails with parabolic stringers?

crippler · Post by **crippler** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:13 pm

why yes i am kenm thanks for the heads up it`s been a long day P.s my 6.0 rounded pin will smoke your parrellel down the line all day long kneemoand it turns too!! what a plus!!

crox · Post by **crox** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:57 am

.......Green tubes is the place for me, high rippin's not the life for me....

To the tune of Greenacres......I know you've gotta be pretty old to know it....

crox · Post by **crox** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:15 am

Ahhh....you know the tune

next verse went....

Tubes spitting out so far & wide, darling give me back my five foot five

crox · Post by **crox** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:46 am

Whoaaaaaa!

....I couldn't get that soppy

crox · Post by **crox** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:00 am

I gotta say that the next verse went -

Big air is the groove I'm in, Flyin high on my rounded pin
You can keep your five foot five, darling but I really want to jive!

For those that can remember, Greenacres was about a couple....he loved the country ...& she loved the town.....& as you know ...opposites attract!....don't know if it was ever resolved.....I guess not....or maybe that was why the program ended.

So what has this got to do with parallel rails???

Well......parallel rails make a faster board [& as you know speed is everything!]
The drawback being that the straighter you go the less turning ability you have....but those old fish really drew a beautiful line off the bottom....& this really perplexed me! Did it really have to be town or country?

So I set about melding the two.
Thus my flex-tail came into being......a fish that could carve super tight.
If you have a variable rocker in the tail you can turn more vertically & carry a lot more [tail] width....therefore a more parallel rail.

It worked so well that I have nearly finished my next prototype that has a 10" tail [between the pins] ....& the next board will be 11 1/2".

Other advantages of the flex are - adhesion through turns...it keeps driving when a conventional board will break out, thrust out of turns......& super smooth carves.

Is it not the time that we should strike out on our own as kneeboarders....we have a different power base to footboarders....let's get the imagination going & try to develop some truly different designs that let us make some fresh new tracks.....& this is in no way intended to take away from the fantastic surfing that we see now, as demonstrated in Steenos excellent recent shots....... I'm just sayin!

crox · Post by **crox** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:55 am

Aye Aye Cap'n....t'was already planned!

crippler · Post by **crippler** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:34 pm

Sure are showing ya age boys green acres and and flex tails love your work. love to see it in action

crox · Post by **crox** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:18 pm

Is that a mellowing of attitude I detect there young crippler?

crippler · Post by **crippler** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:50 pm

oh yeah i couldn`t be any mellower fresh from the ocean.i`ve ridden a few flex tails only one kb but a couple of stand up boards shape by bushrat near merimbula sth nsw.haven`t surfed them enough to get them sussed.but they definately load up and rattle.eva tryed step tails?

crippler · Post by **crippler** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:50 pm

oh yeah i couldn`t be any mellower fresh from the ocean.i`ve ridden a few flex tails only one kb but a couple of stand up boards shape by bushrat near merimbula sth nsw.haven`t surfed them enough to get them sussed.but they definately load up and rattle.eva tryed step tails?

surfhorn · Post by **surfhorn** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:42 am

I just did an interview on our local AM radio station (KSCO) this morning. In the station's lobby they have a board displayed on the wall. It is a Freeline 7'6" stinger (circa 1977) shaped by John and with a full deck airbrush by his younger brother Dave Mel. There didn't seem to be any dents on the deck: pretty pristine.

Talk about parallel rails. I remember riding those stingers with a 12" flex fin pushed way towards the wing (almost 21" from tail). They twanged off the bottom hard and went straight really well.

kidrock · Post by **kidrock** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:53 am

surfhorn wrote:I just did an interview on our local AM radio station (KSCO) this morning. In the station's lobby they have a board displayed on the wall. It is a Freeline 7'6" stinger (circa 1977) shaped by John and with a full deck airbrush by his younger brother Dave Mel. There didn't seem to be any dents on the deck: pretty pristine.

Talk about parallel rails. I remember riding those stingers with a 12" flex fin pushed way towards the wing (almost 21" from tail). They twanged off the bottom hard and went straight really well.

Hey Surfhorn,

you're talking about the "stinger" that was similar to the Aipa shapes of the 70's, right?

It seems like those boards are making a bit of a comeback, albeit with a more modern twist.