Here is EP 4
Enjoy.
Saturday 23 November 2013
Quiver's under the microscope: Redbull Decades
Out of all the boards this is probably the board I would want to surf the least on this Redbull decades trip. The 90's seemed like a shit time to be a surfer. Long skinny high rockered boards.... YUCK
Sunday 17 November 2013
Quivers under the microscope: Redbull Decades
Glen Pang is world renown as one of the best shapers going around. This twin fin paved the way for progression in surfing through giving Martin Potter the speed and performance to perform aerials. Today we see surfers performing anything in the air from backflips to full rotation 360's. A board engraved into surfings history.
Let's not forget though.
How fun does this board look!? After watching this clip I wanted to buy one immediately....
Enjoy.
Redbull Decades EP 3
Let's not forget though.
How fun does this board look!? After watching this clip I wanted to buy one immediately....
Enjoy.
Redbull Decades EP 3
Tuesday 12 November 2013
Simon Anderson's Early Bird
Early Bird
Intro
When the opportunity arises to get your hands on a ex pro's board no matter how strapped for cash you are you have to buy it. If you take anything away from reading my blog it must be that. So when Jay Thompson strolled into the shop early one Saturday morning cradling two beautifully looking Simon short boards my eyes lit up and my bank account felt the pain. This early bird was in that batch and out of the two felt best under the arm. It didn't even see the light of the shop floor it was straight out the back with my name on it. If you have ever had a ex pro's board before you know that they go at least 5 times better than any custom or stock board you have had in your life time. Over the years I have been lucky enough to surf the board's originally shaped for Jordy Smith, Jay Thompson and Jack Perry all high performance boards and all exceptional when put in the right conditions. This latest board from Jay was no exception. Once I had figured out what model it was I jumped on the net and did some research. This board was actually designed to be a small wave performance board but being stretched out this board turns into a high performance short board with a few things a small wave board have that really complement the board.
How it goes
High performance boards need to be surfed in high performance waves. Living on the surf coast its not always that you get the most ideal waves to surf your top end curvy surfboards. However the early bird although it a performance short board it has a slightly lower entry rocker making it more suited for the waves of Winki and Bells as those waves are a little flatter and you do not need the rocker that you do if you were surfing the hollow points of SE QLD. This lower entry rocker however doesn't take away from the performance of the board in hollow waves either as I found this board really came into its own when I was in Bali recently. Having surfed DHD surfboards for most of the year this was my first Simon in a while. I find with DHD's you take off take a high line then drop down to link into your bottom turn its more of a front foot kind of surfing or a neutral stance kind of surfing, Simons on the other hand are all back foot and I found this board loved to go straight to the bottom of the wave off take off come raring off the bottom straight back up into the lip. This worked perfectly in the points of the Bukit where as my DHD felt a little under gunned performance wise. (that may also be because the DHD I was riding before I jumped on this simon was a 1 inch step down not a performance short board) The boards nice tight rounded square tail meant it had a balanced amount of drive and release when you wanted to push it. I could surf the board in any from 3 to 4 foot Racetrack or Bingin to 4 to 6 foot Padang Padang and it held in well and performed well in all conditions. For me however if a board doesn't go well at my much loved Winki Pop it is a bit of a dud. Winki is kind of like my perfect testing ground as I know what section on the wave I want to do my turns on. This Simon loved Winki giving me plenty of speed down the line but not so much that it was hard to break my line and do a turn, it flowed from turn to turn well and released fins with control when I let it happen. This board would have to be up there with one of the better high performance boards I have had.
Whose it for
If your chasing a board with a little bit more paddle power than your normal short board just because you think the banana of a board you are riding is pushing water when you paddle then this is the board for you. With that low entry rocker your getting into waves earlier your getting up earlier your taking a line earlier your not having to drop out of the sky and let the rocker catch you on the curve of the wave. However it is a high performance short board so it is really for someone that wants a board for good days in the 4 to 6 foot range. It is a performance step up from your everyday friendly short board. For me I have the puzzle piece then the early bird. If you want to expand your quiver and have more than one board this is a good one to be looking at.
Ideal fin set up: I know i say AM2's in all my reviews but I try and range of fins in all my boards and they just seem to go best for me. Always try and surf different templates and see what best suits your surfing.
Rating: 9
Ideal waves: 3 to 6 foot
Conditions: Offshore winds with a strong groundswell
Intro
When the opportunity arises to get your hands on a ex pro's board no matter how strapped for cash you are you have to buy it. If you take anything away from reading my blog it must be that. So when Jay Thompson strolled into the shop early one Saturday morning cradling two beautifully looking Simon short boards my eyes lit up and my bank account felt the pain. This early bird was in that batch and out of the two felt best under the arm. It didn't even see the light of the shop floor it was straight out the back with my name on it. If you have ever had a ex pro's board before you know that they go at least 5 times better than any custom or stock board you have had in your life time. Over the years I have been lucky enough to surf the board's originally shaped for Jordy Smith, Jay Thompson and Jack Perry all high performance boards and all exceptional when put in the right conditions. This latest board from Jay was no exception. Once I had figured out what model it was I jumped on the net and did some research. This board was actually designed to be a small wave performance board but being stretched out this board turns into a high performance short board with a few things a small wave board have that really complement the board.
How it goes
High performance boards need to be surfed in high performance waves. Living on the surf coast its not always that you get the most ideal waves to surf your top end curvy surfboards. However the early bird although it a performance short board it has a slightly lower entry rocker making it more suited for the waves of Winki and Bells as those waves are a little flatter and you do not need the rocker that you do if you were surfing the hollow points of SE QLD. This lower entry rocker however doesn't take away from the performance of the board in hollow waves either as I found this board really came into its own when I was in Bali recently. Having surfed DHD surfboards for most of the year this was my first Simon in a while. I find with DHD's you take off take a high line then drop down to link into your bottom turn its more of a front foot kind of surfing or a neutral stance kind of surfing, Simons on the other hand are all back foot and I found this board loved to go straight to the bottom of the wave off take off come raring off the bottom straight back up into the lip. This worked perfectly in the points of the Bukit where as my DHD felt a little under gunned performance wise. (that may also be because the DHD I was riding before I jumped on this simon was a 1 inch step down not a performance short board) The boards nice tight rounded square tail meant it had a balanced amount of drive and release when you wanted to push it. I could surf the board in any from 3 to 4 foot Racetrack or Bingin to 4 to 6 foot Padang Padang and it held in well and performed well in all conditions. For me however if a board doesn't go well at my much loved Winki Pop it is a bit of a dud. Winki is kind of like my perfect testing ground as I know what section on the wave I want to do my turns on. This Simon loved Winki giving me plenty of speed down the line but not so much that it was hard to break my line and do a turn, it flowed from turn to turn well and released fins with control when I let it happen. This board would have to be up there with one of the better high performance boards I have had.
Whose it for
If your chasing a board with a little bit more paddle power than your normal short board just because you think the banana of a board you are riding is pushing water when you paddle then this is the board for you. With that low entry rocker your getting into waves earlier your getting up earlier your taking a line earlier your not having to drop out of the sky and let the rocker catch you on the curve of the wave. However it is a high performance short board so it is really for someone that wants a board for good days in the 4 to 6 foot range. It is a performance step up from your everyday friendly short board. For me I have the puzzle piece then the early bird. If you want to expand your quiver and have more than one board this is a good one to be looking at.
Ideal fin set up: I know i say AM2's in all my reviews but I try and range of fins in all my boards and they just seem to go best for me. Always try and surf different templates and see what best suits your surfing.
Rating: 9
Ideal waves: 3 to 6 foot
Conditions: Offshore winds with a strong groundswell
Quiver's under the microscope: Redbull Decades
Redbull are the leader in action sports not only because they fuel there athlete's with sugar and caffeine but because they are always coming up with great ideas that push the sport of choice. They have had a high performance training centre for surfers built on a boat and placed in the middle of the mentawais islanders,they have custom made events to showcase the freeride aspect of a sport and lets not forget the guy that skydived from space...
Here is another project from Redbull and in the surfing scheme of things it tops the class. Narrated by the always charismatic Chris Cote. The Redbull decades trip takes a handful of there best riders and throws them on a boat with a quiver of boards that showcase the best of the past present and future. If your into boards this is something you will thoroughly enjoy.
EP1
EP2
Episodes are posted weekly so check back next week for the next episode!
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