**BONZER THREAD 2014**

[rowjimmytour]

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@Sharky what is her exact DNA and dims? Octafish does MBLV

 

[Sharky]

@Sharky what is her exact DNA and dims? Octafish does MBLV

Here's way more information than you probably wanted. But it might interest some of you since this is a design forum.

The board started as a custom order MGB-GT for some guy. From memory, the guy wanted something like 6'6" x 23+ x 3 3/16" or something. I went to cut it and thought I could get it out of a 610A. I had the blank, and a bigger blank would have meant waiting and I wanted it gone so I went for it. I was rammed into the blank deck to bottom and width was out there on the edges of the blank. You cut the deck in first, as shallow as possible. So I let that go and just barely skinned the blank on the stringer cut. I'm thinking I have it. The problem came in when I realized that the deck on the MGB GT was pretty flat and the thickness carried out into the rail a bit. The blank is of course domed. Too domed for the cut. So as the blade is heading out to the rail, it's in the air, cutting nothing. Whoops. If you had room re thickness in the blank, you would ordinarily stop the cut, drop the cut slightly in the blank, and start it over. Couldn't really do that though because I was at the bottom of the blank on the other side. No room to drop it. I said bad words and let the thing cut figuring something else could be salvaged out of the cut. But there was another screw up. Malcolm doesn't like the tuck on this particular file, so he has me cut it at 90 degrees. I forgot that and cut it at 130 degrees thus putting in the tuck that Malcolm doesn't like. Later that day I saw this video of a Japanese surfer surfing this squared off nose double diamond tail/butt tail thing in sh!t waves. Board was large for his weight. But I really liked the way he was surfing the thing. So I start thinking about what can be salvaged out of my botched cut. I made a quick design modification on the MGB GT file. Just to kind of sketch it out. More curve in the tail, and pulled the width in some to get the tuck to where Malcolm could work with it. Malcolm walked in and I told him I bought the blank and I wanted to make myself a microwave killer. Malcolm went out and sketched out my requested butt tail on a piece of typing paper. It looked good. So he took it home and it sat in his shed for a few months. During this time Malcom's son passed and then my father passed. I forgot about the board as did Malcolm. A while back he found it in back of a stack of machined blanks and called me. He went ahead with it. I didn't want it that big, so I told him anywhere between 6'2" and 5'11" was fine. Keep it as wide as possible and as thick as possible. So he cut a few inches off the tail, (flattening the tail rocker some) and put in a deeper than average bonzer bottom. The tail is, from memory, somewhere in the 18" range. So the concave was deepened to add some control. The thing landed at 6'1.5" long on a straight line, 22 3/4" wide (lol) and 3 1/16" thick. He finished it out and I felt up the blank and was stoked. Then my father passed. I forgot about the board again in the midst of all that. Malcolm went ahead and took the board to glassing and just took care of it. I don't know or care what the glassing schedule was. It came out light and it feels pretty firm so, it should be good.

And that's way more than you wanted to know. Sometimes some really cool stuff comes out of mistakes. You stop down trying to salvage things and get creative. Sometimes that works out. We will see. I'll try and find the video of the Japanese guy that inspired this whole thing. Hopefully this board gets me in the water in 2 foot slop.

 

[Sharky]

Lazy Boy Skill on the Sunday Killer.

I love it.

 

[20W-50 and blood]

a chino gws ripping on that bonzer is all i want for christmas

 

[kpd73]

Here's way more information than you probably wanted. But it might interest some of you since this is a design forum.

The board started as a custom order MGB-GT for some guy. From memory, the guy wanted something like 6'6" x 23+ x 3 3/16" or something. I went to cut it and thought I could get it out of a 610A. I had the blank, and a bigger blank would have meant waiting and I wanted it gone so I went for it. I was rammed into the blank deck to bottom and width was out there on the edges of the blank. You cut the deck in first, as shallow as possible. So I let that go and just barely skinned the blank on the stringer cut. I'm thinking I have it. The problem came in when I realized that the deck on the MGB GT was pretty flat and the thickness carried out into the rail a bit. The blank is of course domed. Too domed for the cut. So as the blade is heading out to the rail, it's in the air, cutting nothing. Whoops. If you had room re thickness in the blank, you would ordinarily stop the cut, drop the cut slightly in the blank, and start it over. Couldn't really do that though because I was at the bottom of the blank on the other side. No room to drop it. I said bad words and let the thing cut figuring something else could be salvaged out of the cut. But there was another screw up. Malcolm doesn't like the tuck on this particular file, so he has me cut it at 90 degrees. I forgot that and cut it at 130 degrees thus putting in the tuck that Malcolm doesn't like. Later that day I saw this video of a Japanese surfer surfing this squared off nose double diamond tail/butt tail thing in sh!t waves. Board was large for his weight. But I really liked the way he was surfing the thing. So I start thinking about what can be salvaged out of my botched cut. I made a quick design modification on the MGB GT file. Just to kind of sketch it out. More curve in the tail, and pulled the width in some to get the tuck to where Malcolm could work with it. Malcolm walked in and I told him I bought the blank and I wanted to make myself a microwave killer. Malcolm went out and sketched out my requested butt tail on a piece of typing paper. It looked good. So he took it home and it sat in his shed for a few months. During this time Malcom's son passed and then my father passed. I forgot about the board as did Malcolm. A while back he found it in back of a stack of machined blanks and called me. He went ahead with it. I didn't want it that big, so I told him anywhere between 6'2" and 5'11" was fine. Keep it as wide as possible and as thick as possible. So he cut a few inches off the tail, (flattening the tail rocker some) and put in a deeper than average bonzer bottom. The tail is, from memory, somewhere in the 18" range. So the concave was deepened to add some control. The thing landed at 6'1.5" long on a straight line, 22 3/4" wide (lol) and 3 1/16" thick. He finished it out and I felt up the blank and was stoked. Then my father passed. I forgot about the board again in the midst of all that. Malcolm went ahead and took the board to glassing and just took care of it. I don't know or care what the glassing schedule was. It came out light and it feels pretty firm so, it should be good.

And that's way more than you wanted to know. Sometimes some really cool stuff comes out of mistakes. You stop down trying to salvage things and get creative. Sometimes that works out. We will see. I'll try and find the video of the Japanese guy that inspired this whole thing. Hopefully this board gets me in the water in 2 foot slop.

Thinking with those deeper concaves and boards intended purpose, maybe run a smaller modified center fin?
Keep the base of the center fin , but around 4.5" or less with a slightly raked back sharks tooth/keel fin look?
Like the runners Gary Hanel used to use on his bonzers minus the cant. His old front runner design always impressed me as a shrinky dink True Ames center fin and I filed it away in my head.
It would keep the whole synergy of the bonzer concaves running cleanly and lessen the center fin drag - especially in very weak waves, but still maintain a good portion of drive given the base?



I do love and understand these boards very much. Thought I would throw the suggestion into the mix.
I also am surfing a version of that Sunday Killer made by Austin (east coast shaper) at 5'6 x 22 1/2 x 3 as a twinzer.
It is the ( . ) ( . )'s!

 

[Sharky]

The center fin thing should be interesting. I'm going to start with a 7" Bonzer fin and see what happens. The rocker out the back is pretty flat. I've had boards in the past I loved with very little base on the fin, instead using a 7" longboard cutaway fin. But there's an 18" tail? lol. In my truck I have a box with all the Bonzer fins including the rarely seen Malcolm designed 8" bonzer fin. I have a few different cutaways, one of those Greenough paddle fins, A greenough flex fin, etc etc. It should be interesting.

Then there is this, which I have never tried.

6" BONZER | Pacific Vibrations

 

[rowjimmytour]

The center fin thing should be interesting. I'm going to start with a 7" Bonzer fin and see what happens. The rocker out the back is pretty flat. I've had boards in the past I loved with very little base on the fin, instead using a 7" longboard cutaway fin. But there's an 18" tail? lol. In my truck I have a box with all the Bonzer fins including the rarely seen Malcolm designed 8" bonzer fin. I have a few different cutaways, one of those Greenough paddle fins, A greenough flex fin, etc etc. It should be interesting.

Then there is this, which I have never tried.

6" BONZER | Pacific Vibrations

@Sharky if one went to MC to place order would they ask for a "Sunday Killer"? I bet this would go great with AO bottom and setup
When you run 7" start well you also start at 5.75" from.tail?

 

[Sharky]

@Sharky if one went to MC to place order would they ask for a "Sunday Killer"? I bet this would go great with AO bottom and setup
When you run 7" start well you also start at 5.75" from.tail?

lol. Malcolm would be drawing a blank on the Sunday Killer thing unless I clued him in. I thought about the AO bottom, but Malcolm has been buried, glassing is buried, I figured I'd keep it simple and easy.

And yes, I set the 7" and 5.75. Which works out to be about 3/16" - 1/4" leading edge ahead of trailing edge on rear side fins.

I was just down at the beach. It is FLAT. Typical. Whenever I get a new board a two week flat spell seems to be in order.

 

[kpd73]

The center fin thing should be interesting. I'm going to start with a 7" Bonzer fin and see what happens. The rocker out the back is pretty flat. I've had boards in the past I loved with very little base on the fin, instead using a 7" longboard cutaway fin. But there's an 18" tail? lol. In my truck I have a box with all the Bonzer fins including the rarely seen Malcolm designed 8" bonzer fin. I have a few different cutaways, one of those Greenough paddle fins, A greenough flex fin, etc etc. It should be interesting.

Then there is this, which I have never tried.

6" BONZER | Pacific Vibrations

Love what you said...not a fan of the balloon fins.

 

[Woke AF]

http://instagr.am/p/ChH_Fd7L_Mp/

 

[OsideBum]

Just waiting for some waves with a little bit of juice to test this one out.

 

[SirKooksALot]

Thought this one looked fun

http://instagr.am/p/CmHfU-Wp568/

 

[caramel_Sea]

Just waiting for some waves with a little bit of juice to test this one out.

good combo there!

 

[Retropete]

Lazy Boy Skill on the Sunday Killer.

I love it.

That first video got me thinking. I put a set of S-wing 470 mid keel twins into my Mini Simmons after also watching a video of Seaside reef in the current swell that showed a guy riding a Mini Simmons in some decent sized waves. Took my board out into 4' plus point waves with a light onshore yesterday and the board blew my mind.
Looked for the set waves that gave me a roll in and avoided the ones that sat up too much. Funnest surf I have had in a long time exploring the top end of the board. Look forward to hearing how the board goes.

 

[Sharky]

Rode the Bonzer in question yesterday. With my father's death I've been out of the water for months and months, so I wasn't expecting much. To be sure, I had a couple of off moments, but on the whole, not that bad. The board flies on something that lines up. I had one wave that was so mushy the whitewater vanished and I started just pumping the board through turns. Probably 180 degree pumps with no hopping and the board just eating it up, with speed to burn on the inside connection. So interesting. I've had two failures to sink. lol. Both late drops into bottom turns. Like I said, that tail is over 18". Twice I have laid into it and nothing happened. I know. Eat a sandwich Alice. In that situation I have to give it a little check turn wiggle and I think in both situations my weight was slightly too far forward. Board is interesting. I had fun on waves that ordinarily I probably wouldn't even bother with. That was kind of what I was aiming for.

I'm a regular foot and backside I have always had problems with boards that have wide noses. It's like my muscle memory on the backhand was all developed on relatively narrow nose boards. For some reason it screws with me. And yet, going the other direction I have no problem pushing it around on a cutback to a foam-ball bounce. Pilot error.

And holy sh!t I'm sore.

 

[manel85]

I am sharing my experience because I have been forced to run some experiments on a bonzer I recently acquired. It's part a cautionary tale to future bonzer users, part sharing a story that hopefully you can relate to. I have a custom CI Biscuit Bonzer that I have been surfing for the past 3 months or so and I have had mixed experiences with it. I am lucky to have the NJ wave pool 1/2 an hour away which means I have had lots of repetitions and a good testing ground for what has been a lesson in not giving up.
I personally have romanticized a bit the idea of the bonzer and how cool would it be to ride one, but so far it has been tough. I really, really want to love it, but it has been hard, until I made a breakthrough this morning.
I have tried everything in the fin department: 6.5", 6", 5.5", moving it forward, backwards, and the board just does not go. It felt like someone was grabbing my leash when dropping the wave. I have also tried to move my feet a bit more backwards, forwards (read somewhere on swaylocks that bonzers require to be surfed with your back foot really on top of the back fin). Maybe because of the lack of power of the wave (I have only tried the board in the pool, I would not risk skunking a good day with it) maybe because this board is somehow a lemon, but most likely user error, I have managed to find a sweet spot with a 3.625" Lost trailer single fin. (https://futuresfins.com/products/lost-3-625?_pos=1&_sid=4ec328722&_ss=r)
The board now flies off the bottom turn, does not feel stuck on the drop, and paddles into the wave like my other similarly sized groveler boards. I think I'll try the 5.5" now in the local break.
I don't know what to think, but I am finally having fun with it and I get the feeling of turbo projection off the bottom.

 

[One-Off]

I am sharing my experience because I have been forced to run some experiments on a bonzer I recently acquired. It's part a cautionary tale to future bonzer users, part sharing a story that hopefully you can relate to. I have a custom CI Biscuit Bonzer that I have been surfing for the past 3 months or so and I have had mixed experiences with it. I am lucky to have the NJ wave pool 1/2 an hour away which means I have had lots of repetitions and a good testing ground for what has been a lesson in not giving up.
I personally have romanticized a bit the idea of the bonzer and how cool would it be to ride one, but so far it has been tough. I really, really want to love it, but it has been hard, until I made a breakthrough this morning.
I have tried everything in the fin department: 6.5", 6", 5.5", moving it forward, backwards, and the board just does not go. It felt like someone was grabbing my leash when dropping the wave. I have also tried to move my feet a bit more backwards, forwards (read somewhere on swaylocks that bonzers require to be surfed with your back foot really on top of the back fin). Maybe because of the lack of power of the wave (I have only tried the board in the pool, I would not risk skunking a good day with it) maybe because this board is somehow a lemon, but most likely user error, I have managed to find a sweet spot with a 3.625" Lost trailer single fin. (https://futuresfins.com/products/lost-3-625?_pos=1&_sid=4ec328722&_ss=r)
The board now flies off the bottom turn, does not feel stuck on the drop, and paddles into the wave like my other similarly sized groveler boards. I think I'll try the 5.5" now in the local break.
I don't know what to think, but I am finally having fun with it and I get the feeling of turbo projection off the bottom.

Please give a ride report when you get the 5.5 in real ocean waves.

 

[rowjimmytour]

I am sharing my experience because I have been forced to run some experiments on a bonzer I recently acquired. It's part a cautionary tale to future bonzer users, part sharing a story that hopefully you can relate to. I have a custom CI Biscuit Bonzer that I have been surfing for the past 3 months or so and I have had mixed experiences with it. I am lucky to have the NJ wave pool 1/2 an hour away which means I have had lots of repetitions and a good testing ground for what has been a lesson in not giving up.
I personally have romanticized a bit the idea of the bonzer and how cool would it be to ride one, but so far it has been tough. I really, really want to love it, but it has been hard, until I made a breakthrough this morning.
I have tried everything in the fin department: 6.5", 6", 5.5", moving it forward, backwards, and the board just does not go. It felt like someone was grabbing my leash when dropping the wave. I have also tried to move my feet a bit more backwards, forwards (read somewhere on swaylocks that bonzers require to be surfed with your back foot really on top of the back fin). Maybe because of the lack of power of the wave (I have only tried the board in the pool, I would not risk skunking a good day with it) maybe because this board is somehow a lemon, but most likely user error, I have managed to find a sweet spot with a 3.625" Lost trailer single fin. (https://futuresfins.com/products/lost-3-625?_pos=1&_sid=4ec328722&_ss=r)
The board now flies off the bottom turn, does not feel stuck on the drop, and paddles into the wave like my other similarly sized groveler boards. I think I'll try the 5.5" now in the local break.
I don't know what to think, but I am finally having fun with it and I get the feeling of turbo projection off the bottom.

Wave pool+bonzer no bueno
Wave with push ideal top to bottom barrel+bonzer=
This is ideal but I do have a '8 min log MC 5 fin that can grovel but still likes wave with push hates mushburger.

 

[Bob Dobbalina]

I never understood the Biscuit Bonzer thing

 

[rowjimmytour]

I never understood the Biscuit Bonzer thing

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