I've never much been for the Mid-Length craze. I've watched Devon Howard most of my life carving S-Turns around me, but the boards never really worked for me. I went from 20 years of riding the same thruster to experimenting with all things Fishy around 2005. I became addicted to the speed and glide of the Keel Fish. That's actually what got me into participating on the ERBB. Hell, my name came from the first Keel Fish that I ever owned. It was brown. Back then people were charging a decent chunk of money for a Keel Fish. I never quite understood why I would have to pay $900 for a Clear 5'6 Keel Fish, but only $500 for a standard shortboard. Same amount of foam and fiberglass, and the shapes were way less complicated. With 3 young kids, a wife, and a mortgage, $900 wasn't an easy chunk to justify. So, I joined this place to learn how to make em myself. I made about 50 boards in those days, then kinda got sidetracked with pool toys (ie handplanes). In those days, this place wasn't about CI/Pylost's newest model. It was about making our own boards and sharing ideas. Kinda like Swaylocks, but IMO, a bit more functional designs. DJ Kane might have been my first Internet friend. Kinda wierd to think of it that way. I think he was making boards on his parents porch in Florida, waiting to graduate from High School. Graduate he did, and quickly threw away a perfectly good Wrestling scholarship to move to California and make surfboards. He, Ian Zamora, and Ryan Lovelace were all child prodigy's on this board back then. Now they all own their own surfboard factory's. Luckily, I still keep in contact with Ian and DJ. Ian shaped me a great log last fall, and I happen to ride bikes with him here and there. DJ's factory is a mile from my house, so that's kind of an easy one.
But, I digress. Getting back to the mid-length. I've never been able to wrap my head around the mid-length. I've done a lot of logging and ridden way too many thrusters in my life, and learned to switch back and forth quickly. Mids and performance longboards (I know it's an oxymoron) have always been a bit difficult. They never quite do what I feel they should.
So I had DK make me a longer Keel fish for those smaller days. I live in a town of beachbreaks and don't really like loggin around here unless it's micro. I usually drive south a bit for logging. There are a lot of smaller days that I struggle making my grovel board work (especially this last winter, Did it even get overhead?) I'm not getting any younger. At 53, most of my friends have already foamed up quite a bit.
So, this was my answer. This is my kind of midlength. I got to ride it today for the first time. Surf was waist to chest high and clean. It goes exactly how I was hoping. It catches waves super easy, and get's up to speed within no time. I was getting in early and making sections I probably woundn't have on other boards. I was able to easily navigate through the slow spots. I'm So Super Stocked to add this to my working rotation. Thanks Deej and to all of you that have made this a pretty cool place over the years. Here's a shot of DK holding my new gem! You should go visit him and get one for yourself.
But, I digress. Getting back to the mid-length. I've never been able to wrap my head around the mid-length. I've done a lot of logging and ridden way too many thrusters in my life, and learned to switch back and forth quickly. Mids and performance longboards (I know it's an oxymoron) have always been a bit difficult. They never quite do what I feel they should.
So I had DK make me a longer Keel fish for those smaller days. I live in a town of beachbreaks and don't really like loggin around here unless it's micro. I usually drive south a bit for logging. There are a lot of smaller days that I struggle making my grovel board work (especially this last winter, Did it even get overhead?) I'm not getting any younger. At 53, most of my friends have already foamed up quite a bit.
So, this was my answer. This is my kind of midlength. I got to ride it today for the first time. Surf was waist to chest high and clean. It goes exactly how I was hoping. It catches waves super easy, and get's up to speed within no time. I was getting in early and making sections I probably woundn't have on other boards. I was able to easily navigate through the slow spots. I'm So Super Stocked to add this to my working rotation. Thanks Deej and to all of you that have made this a pretty cool place over the years. Here's a shot of DK holding my new gem! You should go visit him and get one for yourself.
