I'm not with the program

[szrbloke]

I wonder if there is a little something wrong with me. I have been kneeboarding for about 25 years, and have never been the hottest surfer on the beach. I may have watched too many 1970s surf films, watched Crystal Voyager a few too many times, and always appreciated the surfing of MR, Tom Curran, Carroll etc of that ilk.

I like the idea of a retro board. Something like David Parkes is shaping in the style of his 80s boards, or a bonzer Malibu style board he also does...

In looking for a new board, I'm looking for one that really suits ME, and I'm a pretty mellow guy. I'm not the one pulling the radical moves, but I might be the one who people say of "That guys not too bad".

At present I am doing the patented "Red" examination of my wants and goals for my surfing. Ongoing process it is.

[knee_boarder]

None of my boards are "retro", they are just old!

I'm looking forward to getting the new modern board that Bro Diplock is shaping for me and seeing how the change in board design has altered the way boards ride.

I had a radical (standup) surfing based style 12 years ago as the only video I had with a kneeboarder in it was Crystal Voyager (totally different board to what I rode) and the Aussie one with Nov at Black Rock (still got it but memory is a bit poor this afternoon after a lunch time surf at Croyde).

All this surfing is very heavily tube riding based. I ride Woolacombe in Devon which is a beach break which very rarely tubes so all my kneeboarding consisted of floaters, off the lips etc so it didn't really have much in common with what I saw on video.

Much as I enjoy watching awesome kneeboarders riding awesome tubes, seeing the twins riding smaller junkier waves in the extras of Sparrow's Inside and Out is more the type of surfing I can relate too (If I could do the kind of stuff they do, in my wildest dreams!)

I have no idea how much my boards influenced my riding as I knew nothing else. There were a couple of us kneeboarding, we were all mates and all started at the same time (all ex bodyboarders) and we all just made it up as we went along, there were no older kneeboarders to look up to and emulate.

I'm hoping once my fitness gets back, I can use the new board to get some where near my abilities in my mid twenties (I'm probably wishing as I'm nearly 40!) but even if I don't like the way it rides, I can always get a board designed to work like my old ones.

Just cos you have a modern style board that can do radical moves doesn't mean you have to but the lessons learnt over the years that have gone into the new board may help your general surfing anyway.

I'll let you know what I think of the board in a months time once I have it!

[szrbloke]

Strange you should mention Bro I'm going to sound him out too about a board - there just MIGHT be enough funds in the kitty for a bang up to date board, AND a retro thing. Trouble is I want to talk to Bro, Crox, Mark Venn AND Bryn and order boards from all of them to support the local kneeboard shapers, AND get a board from Parkesey as well. But I'm not a millionaire so choices will have to be made.

My idea is to get a board for me, to suit British conditions. Not 10 foot Thurso, but average british conditions. I'm 42 and no longer fit, slightly overweight (doing something about that I hope) and have a lot of family commitments with a young family, and a wife who is 100% not interested in surfing.

[knee_boarder]

Bro was the closest to me so with the price of fuel these days...

He was very interested in my old boards, I took em down and he took some photos. Infact he'd met the Aussie who'd shaped my favourite one (all my boards are second hand).

I'm with you on wanting a board for the average British surf, the waves I surf ain't that great 99% of the time and as for being tubed, I've had quick coverups on closeouts, but I've never been tubed properly in my life!

I've also got a lot of the same problems as you with the overweight thing and not being fit!

[szrbloke]

Well we shall have to meet up and have a beer while debating weight loss methods..

I'm from the Central Coast originally, and started on an Aware Knees twin. Then moved to a tri Aware Knees that I rode from 1986 until 2002!! I really loved that board, but it got OLD. Picked up a 5'7" Kneeon shaped about 1998 or so in good nick in 2002 and thats been my board since 2002. Don't surf near enough, but along with books and biking its my passion.

Myself and my wife are having a serious bout of "where do we want to go in life" at the moment. I have decided that before I reach the dribbling fool stage I want to get a lot more waves, and she has decided she doesn't want to work like a mad thing in conveyancing anymore, and would like to spend time with our daughter.....

[Kauaikneelo]

Myself and my wife are having a serious bout of "where do we want to go in life" at the moment. I have decided that before I reach the dribbling fool stage I want to get a lot more waves, and she has decided she doesn't want to work like a mad thing in conveyancing anymore, and would like to spend time with our daughter.....

Sell it all and go, brah! You only get so many trips around the sun.

Money will only give you comfort from debt, but surfing gives you true "happyness!". -confusis (or confused as is)

[strudle]

have...a young family, and a wife who is 100% not interested in surfing.

I hear ya on that one. Sneaking off for a surf can be a criminal act depending on what the wife thinks is supposed to be happening that day.