Lets make a change to progress!

[budgie]

How come so many kneelos are riding mal sized kneeboards with the thickness of the earths crust?

I do not know

Contests, i know some of you dont agree with them, so regardless of your feeeling lets get some real vibes on this.

Contests at present are an aged pidgeon holed thing,

ME I think it should be board divisional

Eg 6ft plus vs 6ft under
thruster vs four fin
retro boards eg single and twins

and if you feeel like it

the chilli hot division eg simon chayne matt etc

you choose depending on how you feel and your ability

PLEASE GIVE US ALL +VE (POSITIVE ) FEEDBACK This is how I feeeeel the worlds should be run, stuff the aged divisions

[womble]

Wow, now theres your worms and cans and more worms, opened cans and the like.
Is a twinzer a twin fin or a quad? Or a bonzer a single or a tri?
Board size comes down to the individual surfers physical size, age and preference.
I think I know where your coming from; but age divisions are fair, and one can surf below their age division if they wish to. (ie: a 50 can surf in the under 45 or opens etc)
An old board division, well maybe.
Good luck with your idea Budgie.
On another note I think I just farted in public.

[Headwax.]

budgie wroteth:

[img]

How%20come%20so%20many%20kneelos%20are%20riding%20mal%20sized%20kneeboards%20with%20the%20thickness%20of%20the%20earths%20crust

[/img]

Love the similie in that last bit

Because our motto is 'age will not weary us". At the growing up of our sons we will just get fatter and older - but keep surfing.

In my old age I have gone from 5'7" to 5'10" (not my height but my board's height)

Apologies to the Rsl before I get abused.

My verison of my peace of mind : WIP

[Kev]

Greg is stirring again


cos I'm getting old and feeble
and the aches and pains don't clear like they used too

my lastest board is the biggest I've ever had
6'3" ... but that is still one inch SHORTER than me

and
even if it were a bit more than 40 litres, it still displaces less than half my body weight

surely that's not quite a MAL ... but just a fun board

[Riq dekneelo]

I can see a division of old boards in contest situation , a bit like the maliboomers have a section for vintage mals
In the kneelo case maybe your board has to be
pre1970 you'd get what? some anchor fin fat assed cut down mals, plywood mutants and some vintage spoons, 5' minigun knee scooped handled wonders ( only threw that in cos that's what I was on )
pre 1975 mostly slabs, maybe some twin fins, ( maybe kev barr's 5 finned monster) but a wide selection of rail/plan shapes, flyers, diamond tails, flex tails, channels, maybe a Lis style fish? then Of course you may come across some of the Pete Berry experiments:shock:
pre 1980 all of the above and more

where would you draw the line at a vintage section?
Would any of those boards carefully restored and now gracing the pool room wall ever get wet again
or would the contest boards be a mix beautiful looking heavy as lead restorees, old gnarled warriors that still cut it just because they're watertight ( talking about the boards here ), or dust covered discoveries from the back shed?
could be fun
Riq de kneelo, looking at the battered but watertight slab wondering when I'll take it out next to the points

[Stanley]

The best kboard surfers in the world now would still win the events whether it was a board size division or shape.

And there is so many variables you would have too many divisions and the ones that are winning the divisions now would still win

eg give simon a go on the same board and specs as you or me greg and 9 out of ten times he would still kick our butts.


This is just over complication of competitive surfing.

If you think you could win an event designed the way you would like to see an event run greg, You and me would of all ready won one the way they are run now

[albert]

ME I think it should be board divisional

Eg 6ft plus vs 6ft under
thruster vs four fin
retro boards eg single and twins

I like that retro board idea!

[red]

In a way I'm kind of with Budge

I believe that a "formula" event might have merit. Like cars are specced to keep them in the same class, put 16 top kneebarders on the same board (with a set formula for height/weight variation).

I one manufacturer's equipment kept winning, would that indicate superior driving or superior equipment (or both)?

[Stanley]

Red I would not use car racing classing metaphor as something to represent surfing..

I sorta think surfing and Golf are more in common you see I might be teeing off on a par five in a comp against tiger woods we both have different brand of clubs and many of them to chose from. Tiger decides to tee of with a seven iron and I decide to tee off with a one wood..

Were in the same comp under the same conditions but chose to use the equipment we are comfortable with and think that may help us to archive the goal we are both after..

so if I pull out a 6 ft board 3inches think and you pull out a 5ft 10 inch board 2 1/4 thick and you think you can do well with it at your fitness level and ability Great good luck to what ever you want too surf in the heat

Cheers

[Howard Lorney]

Been following the thread and Stanley you are right on the money with the golf analogy. The car analagy was good but didn't quite seem right untill you think about how the equipment fits with the body shape, height etc of the person using it. In a car your size doesn't really come into play the same with selecting the vehicle, unless of course you cant reach the pedals
.
I can see some logic in having some fun divisions being something other than age based.

[budgie]

Winning an event isnt the issue Stanley,

Changing the contest format to enhance the ART of Kneeling and create interest and possibly excitement.
You cannot tell you get excited seeing overweight, and slow old farts trying to surf on 6ft 4in oiltankers

and whether you or I have won a contest now as the format stands or a changed format is TOTALLY immaterial.


Thank you RED you car racing analogy is spot on with my train of thought.
V8s open wheelers vintage 1600cc v12 monsters formula 1 formula ford etc

The Golfing analogy is not quite correct, althought I can see your point.

See the ISA ruling for mals and lids below
there is no ruling for footboarders coz if the waves are of a certain size they generally are riding the same size boards and a 6ft shortboard is approx 30 ish litres in voulme

where as some of these monster kneeboards are I am sure the cause of the rise in sea levels that poor old global warming is getting blamed for. Melting polar caps my arse.

ISA RULING - Specific Board Sizes

BODYBOARDS
Bodyboards will have the following attributes:
Will be flexible and shall include some portion of soft exterior skin.
Shall not exceed 5 feet in length.
The use of fins is optional.

LONGBOARDS
Board requirements when entering water to compete:
Length is a minimum of 9 feet from the tip of the board in a straight line along its length. Width dimensions to be a minimum aggregate of 47 inches. That is the total of the widest point, plus the width 12 inches up from the tail and the width 12 inches back from the nose.
Traditional longboard Malibu shape to be used with use of multiple fins and channels allowed.
Board length measured using straight line along the deck.
“Nose Protection”, will not be accepted as part of the longboard. Any increase in size must be made with a rigid material as part of the shape of the longboard.

[Tom Linn]

You guys are all talk and no action!! Why doesn't someone stop the bullshit and actually organize a contest with an alternate format. I'll be the first one to enter.

Talk is cheap!

[waka]

'pot calling the kettle black' there Tom...step up to the plate yourself

[Tom Linn]

Already got my hands full contributing to putting the KSUSA Titles in Santa Cruz together.

[mFox]

Budgie,

The best rule re: comps of any sort is to keep it as simple as possible. Introduce too many variables is only going to cause grief, misinterpretation and lack of interest!! In truth a surfers preference to a board length, shape and fin configuration is what they're comfortable with. When you take people out of there comfort zone you aren't getting a true representation of their skill. Also the BIGGEST equalizer is the ocean itself. You get the good wave you win almost regardless of who you are. No wave no points
If there we all had the time to stretch a comp out over a week and run "age divisions, board length divisions, board type divisions, fin setup divisions, etc.....etc." Great!!! gives us a week to play and have a ball. But small prob of work and family commitments and of course the interest factor for spectator/competitors.
KISS factor always wins (KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid).
Guys..... one thing that is a real pain in the arse is comparing surfing to major money sports.

What the F#ck are we???????

Look back to our roots and think on it.... We Are Surfers!!!!! Do 95% of us compete to win!! or to have a good time and enjoy the hype?

Magic words from a Hawaiian legend OWL CHAPMAN from back in the 70s
"Your a surfer, you surf. That's it, that's all there is" (it's in one of the old Tracks mags.)
I live by those words.

Budgie, hats off for throwing your idea's into the pot, they're out there and that's how different things begin but..... maybe look back at the root (fun, enjoyment, progression) and see where your idea can be tied in.

Retro Comp would be a hoot!!!! I'm in for that!!

Bugger this litres per board crap too!! these are out boards not shaped milk cartons!!! if it feels good...... do it!!!!