Asymmetric Boards
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Asymmetric Boards
I’ve seen it done on the tails of long boards. Anyone ever try it with a kneeboard? Could prove to be interesting for those of us who live far from a left. Thoughts?
I believe the last issue of SURFERS JOURNAL has a whole acticle on an Aussie named Camel who rode alot of Asym. boards all over Indo and West Oz.. I was in G-Land with the guy and he was riding some weird single fin and ABSOLUTELY F@RKING KILLING IT.
Guy is a legend.
My first Alpine Snowboard was an Asym... loved that thing.
Guy is a legend.
My first Alpine Snowboard was an Asym... loved that thing.
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MWROBERTSON
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Camel Story
There we were at G-Land. We woke up one morning to grey skies and a swell that came up HUGE overnight . It was bombing the whole place out! The waves were breaking from Kong's all the way through to where the boats launched. They barely dropped in size the whole way down the point.
In the camp that morning, you could see guys stumbling around with their eyes popping out at the sight of the surf.
You could tell that none of us wanted any part of it! (Note:There were some hot & very experienced surfers in the camp that day.)
While eating our cereal and watching the waves, a guy comes running up the beach with an old looking wetsuit, a gunny looking surfboard and a helmet in hand. We thought there is no way this guy is going to paddle out! Sure enough, he straps his helmet on and starts to stroke out through the bombs. Everyone was commenting on how there is no way he's gonna make it out! Sure enough, he keeps stroking his arse off taking a beating that was painfull to watch. He keeps getting back on his board after being blown off time after time. He keeps paddling as hard as he can. Some how he makes it out. We were all cherring him on at this point. Paddling out was one thing and he deserved a medal for that act of bravery. Now we were saying out loud that there is no way that he is gonna take off on one of these top-to-bottom beasts!
Wave after wave rolls in but they are too huge, hollow and sectiony for him to catch. The waves looked like any mortal would have been swallowed up and slammed hard. Then there it was, an absoblute freight train bomb comes pumping down the point. We see this speck of a man launch himself over the ledge and hop to his feet. The wave was, hell...I don't know...HUGE...Triple overhead face??? He makes it to mid-face and the thing just heaves a huge unmakeable section out in front of him. Somehow, he does a mid face turn and is able to pull out through the back. The wave explodes and we all gasp and hope that he is ok. As he's working his way back out another one comes speeding at him. He swings it around, drops down over the ledge of the beast. He somehow makes a bottom turn, or should I say lower third of the way turn. The face was so large that he could turn there very effectively. He then shoots up to about mid-face as this giant section looms over and envelopes him into a massive barrell. It was really just a huge section of the wave throwing out well over 50 yards or so long. We all thought he was toast but he comes flying out with barrell spit silhouetting his board and body.
Too far to the inside now he decides to belly one in to the beach. As he comes in and runs by us we ask him how it was and congratulate him on 1. Making it out & 2. Even taking a wave 3. Getting and unbeliveable tube ride and escaping with his life.
He said it was fun but a bit closed out! He said with beaming eyes..."It's gonna be better this afternoon"!
We said...."hey what's your name"? He did'nt hear us as he ran off but some guy sipping on his coffe said...That was Camel!
In the camp that morning, you could see guys stumbling around with their eyes popping out at the sight of the surf.
You could tell that none of us wanted any part of it! (Note:There were some hot & very experienced surfers in the camp that day.) While eating our cereal and watching the waves, a guy comes running up the beach with an old looking wetsuit, a gunny looking surfboard and a helmet in hand. We thought there is no way this guy is going to paddle out! Sure enough, he straps his helmet on and starts to stroke out through the bombs. Everyone was commenting on how there is no way he's gonna make it out! Sure enough, he keeps stroking his arse off taking a beating that was painfull to watch. He keeps getting back on his board after being blown off time after time. He keeps paddling as hard as he can. Some how he makes it out. We were all cherring him on at this point. Paddling out was one thing and he deserved a medal for that act of bravery. Now we were saying out loud that there is no way that he is gonna take off on one of these top-to-bottom beasts!
Wave after wave rolls in but they are too huge, hollow and sectiony for him to catch. The waves looked like any mortal would have been swallowed up and slammed hard. Then there it was, an absoblute freight train bomb comes pumping down the point. We see this speck of a man launch himself over the ledge and hop to his feet. The wave was, hell...I don't know...HUGE...Triple overhead face??? He makes it to mid-face and the thing just heaves a huge unmakeable section out in front of him. Somehow, he does a mid face turn and is able to pull out through the back. The wave explodes and we all gasp and hope that he is ok. As he's working his way back out another one comes speeding at him. He swings it around, drops down over the ledge of the beast. He somehow makes a bottom turn, or should I say lower third of the way turn. The face was so large that he could turn there very effectively. He then shoots up to about mid-face as this giant section looms over and envelopes him into a massive barrell. It was really just a huge section of the wave throwing out well over 50 yards or so long. We all thought he was toast but he comes flying out with barrell spit silhouetting his board and body.
Too far to the inside now he decides to belly one in to the beach. As he comes in and runs by us we ask him how it was and congratulate him on 1. Making it out & 2. Even taking a wave 3. Getting and unbeliveable tube ride and escaping with his life.
He said it was fun but a bit closed out! He said with beaming eyes..."It's gonna be better this afternoon"!
We said...."hey what's your name"? He did'nt hear us as he ran off but some guy sipping on his coffe said...That was Camel!
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DavidW
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Great story Mark! I always love to hear and read about mysto underground guys that charge. TSJ did a good piece on Mr. Camel a few issues back and they did a profile on Walter Haas a few years back. Those articles always seem to be my favorites.
If you know any charactors that would fit in this catagory write about some of their antics. If they're kneelos all the better.
If you know any charactors that would fit in this catagory write about some of their antics. If they're kneelos all the better.
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hart
- Legend (Contribution King!)
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- Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 4:46 pm
- Location: Dee Why, Sydney.
Asymmetry
Pieetry,
I've often thought about this..some guys, like Jamie McHugh (OZ) have a very strong bias to their forehand and you can see it in their style..like Jamie's left knee is way forward of his right (he is a natural footer)..so on lefts, his surfing is 'over his shoulder'..and Smoking Rock (US) has also said how much he prefers lefts..and he is a goofy, so he looks 'over his shoulder' on rights.
I think that you can not only shape your tails to suit this..but even design the entire outline around a forehand and backhand approach to riding a kneeboard.
Even to the point of Nov saying to me that the bullshit 360 turns (proper ones..not just spins) that he did would only work on rights (he is a natural) and his awesome barrel rolls would only happen on lefts..
Farrer though, defies the odds and in my opinion surfs both rights and lefts on his forehand..I believe he truly surfs ambidextriously..but back to mere mortals..like you and me.
You can control your rail on your forehand much easier than your backhand..so you could do a straighter line in your outline for this, like in a rounded square..and then go a radical pintail for your backside..and pull the pin all the way across your centre line to the outside tip of the square..
Your forehand would be smooth and controlled, yet your backhand would be pivotal and punchy.
Interesting question that you raise..are you natural or goofy and do you feel more natural on a right, or a left?
hart.
I've often thought about this..some guys, like Jamie McHugh (OZ) have a very strong bias to their forehand and you can see it in their style..like Jamie's left knee is way forward of his right (he is a natural footer)..so on lefts, his surfing is 'over his shoulder'..and Smoking Rock (US) has also said how much he prefers lefts..and he is a goofy, so he looks 'over his shoulder' on rights.
I think that you can not only shape your tails to suit this..but even design the entire outline around a forehand and backhand approach to riding a kneeboard.
Even to the point of Nov saying to me that the bullshit 360 turns (proper ones..not just spins) that he did would only work on rights (he is a natural) and his awesome barrel rolls would only happen on lefts..
Farrer though, defies the odds and in my opinion surfs both rights and lefts on his forehand..I believe he truly surfs ambidextriously..but back to mere mortals..like you and me.
You can control your rail on your forehand much easier than your backhand..so you could do a straighter line in your outline for this, like in a rounded square..and then go a radical pintail for your backside..and pull the pin all the way across your centre line to the outside tip of the square..
Your forehand would be smooth and controlled, yet your backhand would be pivotal and punchy.
Interesting question that you raise..are you natural or goofy and do you feel more natural on a right, or a left?
hart.
Re: Asymmetry
Pretty much Carl Ekstrom's thinking when he applied for the patent (granted in the late 60's or very early 70's--now expired). He's still an advocate of the shape.hart wrote: I think that you can not only shape your tails to suit this...
...You can control your rail on your forehand much easier than your backhand..so you could do a straighter line in your outline for this, like in a rounded square..and then go a radical pintail for your backside..and pull the pin all the way across your centre line to the outside tip of the square..
Your forehand would be smooth and controlled, yet your backhand would be pivotal and punchy.
hart.
Experience gained is in proportion to equipment ruined.
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hart
- Legend (Contribution King!)
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- Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 4:46 pm
- Location: Dee Why, Sydney.
Forehand stuff
How's it MT?
At times I have taken my centre fin out in tiny waves (of my Thruster) and on rights (forehand) all has been cool..go the 360 in a closeout shorey and make it ..right into the sand..but to go left?..all hell breaks loose and I can't do a thing..like nothing..at all..fullstop.. kooksville.
Amazing how how our natural way of thinking effects what we take for granted..and I'm stoked the patent that this guy took out has expired..like was he serious?
Because in OZ..we would say "Only in America"..and then just do as we please..and I guess, suck sand.
Regards as always, from Down Under.
At times I have taken my centre fin out in tiny waves (of my Thruster) and on rights (forehand) all has been cool..go the 360 in a closeout shorey and make it ..right into the sand..but to go left?..all hell breaks loose and I can't do a thing..like nothing..at all..fullstop.. kooksville.
Amazing how how our natural way of thinking effects what we take for granted..and I'm stoked the patent that this guy took out has expired..like was he serious?
Because in OZ..we would say "Only in America"..and then just do as we please..and I guess, suck sand.
Regards as always, from Down Under.