The Oz Slab

[Rob]

Back in the late 70's/early 80's, I had an opportunity to borrow a single fin "slab" kneeboard and give it a few surfs. Different than my fish-style board (with keel fins) in that it felt a bunch looser, but still tracked well on steep slopes. I know PC ripped on one of these sledz. I'd like to gather as much info about the Slab Board as possible ...

• What kinda waves are they best suited for
• Ranges of optimum length, width, thickness and rocker
• Bottom shapes
• Rail shapes
• Fin types and placement

I might just hafta shape me one, after I finish the Lis Fish clone. I like the idea of that single, long, adjustable center fin. I guess I'm getting into a 70's flashback retro kneeboard design mode.

TIA.

[albert]

I have one, still havent quite figured out how to ride it properly but as far as I can tell its built for anything, problem is getting the rail in the water. As far as what people have told me about it you are not supposed to put the rail in the water (i.e. it was designed for slides on open faces and the like).

The dimensions on it are 5'8" by 22 1/2" probably about 2 5/8" thick with a 18 1/2 nose and 19" wide tail. The bottom is basically flat with a vee starting at the front of the box and running off the tail. The rails are very soft and rounded all the way through (with a little bit of hardness running off the tail.

The box fin is about 7 inches from the tail (granted it is a 18 inch long box)... for what I have heard the ideal fin for it is around 11" tall, with a narrow base and a crapload of rake.

Hope this helps.
Albert

[hart]

I know PC ripped on one of these sledz. I'd like to gather as much info about the Slab Board as possible ...

• What kinda waves are they best suited for
• Ranges of optimum length, width, thickness and rocker
• Bottom shapes
• Rail shapes
• Fin types and placement

TIA.

Hey Rob..you're right, PC did rip..as many other OZ surfers did also on Sydney Slabs.

Waves?..I have seen Peter surf the same board in 2 foot crap to 12 foot (serious) Dee Why Point and everything else in-between.

Dimensions?..5'6" x 22" x 13" half-round tail. 3" thick was typical..altough peter did go up to 26" wide with a few experimental ones. By the 80's, width settled in to around 23-23 1/2". Rocker was flat..say 4" (if that) nose and less than an inch of tail.

Bottom shapes?..flat, then flat and then flat. No vee, concave, no nothin'.

Rails? Low volume and soft with resin edges in tail.

Fin type?..I have Peters single fin templates that would be of much help..they were positioned into (Peter's own) 15" fin box and the trailing edge was around 15-17" up from the tail.

Note..the fin needed flex. With no vee whatsoever, it was the only way the board could release.

Hope its all good.

hart

[Bud]

Albert,

Pretend it's a bar stool and your really hammered!

Think "drunken crab".

Better still, pound a few VBs paddle out and GO OFF!

[albert]

will do

[hart]

Too true.

If the rail line was wrong..or the centre fin wasn't tuned properly, the slab went sideways.

But Peter always knew ways to tune his equipment that other mere mortals did not. His knowledge was as considerable as his talent.

Yet it was with Chris Crozier's death (1985), that the soul of the slab was ultimately lost.

Other shapers tried to replicate it for PC..myself and Phil Byrne included..but I don't believe that we came close.

Technically the design was perfect (can I say that?) but in practise..it took a unique skill to create.

The slab accepted no imitations..

And it generated surfers that looked at other elements of design as a result.

Enter such icons as Steve Artis and David Parkes as Australian kneeboarding continued to look beyond itself and beyond PC.

hart