HPSB 2034

[GromsDad]

Also, it's not fair to say the pros have been riding said material for 30 years and that's why it's the best. They surf a few select spots and are required to meet a certain criteria that none of us plebs are subject to. They ride what they grew up competing on because its easier and cheaper for their shapers to make 50 of them a year......and the feel is familiar. Many of them don't have the time or desire to experiment with other materials and designs.

One could argue pros have been stifling board progress for 30 years.

I couldn't disagree more. Pros ride what they ride because it works for them. Their boards are super dialed in. Most of them ride PU/PE because it is the best product. Every one of them could be riding Dark Arts or other super high tech gimmickry yet very few do and even the few who do ride such boards only do so in specific conditions at specific venues.

 

[Duffy LaCoronilla]

Because it offers a performance advantage.

It's almost like Toledo's riding of a DA's quad at Trestles never existed.

Almost like JJF's use of DA never existed, Bourez on FW's, Taj on FW's, early Toledo on FW's, Slater on FW's, Medina on EPS in the pool, Jordy on FW's in the pool, etc etc etc.

Every tour pro has now experimented with at least EPS/Epoxy builds.

You have to ignore a mountain of evidence to suggest that Pros' haven't tried alt-tech boards and found them wanting as reliable vehicles for the very highest level of surfing.

Then you need to explain why all the free-surf pros are still riding PU/PE- who aren't being judged.

Slatan’s 5’9 Fred Rubble that he slayed Fiji with was eps/epoxy.

 

[freeride76]

In my neck of the woods, alt-tech boards were way more common a decade ago.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that a PU/PE manufacturer building basically retro twin fins (either TKF or 70's twins) would be state of the art and the hottest thing in town.
But here we are.

It's likely that we will go more in this direction in the next decade as board manufactures cope with demand from adult learners becoming intermediates.
This process is well underway.

Also noteworthy, how easy the top pros boards have become to ride.

If I look at the Top 10, I could ride every single one of their standard SB's.

They all have enough volume for me.

Anorexic pro boards are really a thing of the past.

 

[jkb]

Because it offers a performance advantage.

It's almost like Toledo's riding of a DA's quad at Trestles never existed.

Almost like JJF's use of DA never existed, Bourez on FW's, Taj on FW's, early Toledo on FW's, Slater on FW's, Medina on EPS in the pool, Jordy on FW's in the pool, etc etc etc.

Every tour pro has now experimented with at least EPS/Epoxy builds.

You have to ignore a mountain of evidence to suggest that Pros' haven't tried alt-tech boards and found them wanting as reliable vehicles for the very highest level of surfing.

Then you need to explain why all the free-surf pros are still riding PU/PE- who aren't being judged.

To say all the top pros have abandoned alt tech is ridiculous. Every construction has its time/place. Toledo rode that DA because it was a magic board for those conditions. Same with JJF but he broke his. The few guys willing to experiment will be back on them when they get another magic one and the conditions call for it. And by the way Toledo and JJF both looked fantastic on those boards, but the point remains that the majority of the tour is still not willing to experiment.

There are plenty of free surfers riding alt tech. Craig Anderson, Nate Tyler, Dave Rastovich, Machado, ect….. The fact that they ride alt tech is probably one of the biggest reasons that a larger percentage of the general surfing population today are willing to try alt tech than ever before. They’ve helped to normalize it and show it can be ridden well in average conditions.

And weren’t you just telling us how great your new wood board was and how you couldn’t detect any performance disadvantages?

 

[jkb]

the few who do ride such boards only do so in specific conditions at specific venues.

Exactly.

There’s a time and a place for alt construction……just like there’s a time and a place for PU/PE.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

This is sped up through the turns.

lol, the whole video is sped up, just like every other video out there

The foil accelerates through the turns.

The Campbell Designs video has something else going on, or the guy in the video is the new "White Lightning."

Someone should tell Mick he's been dethroned:

THE TOE | EXO

BOARD SUMMARIZATION "THE TOE" was designed and refined as a performance shortboard aimed at everyday conditions. With a medium rocker, our proven concave, vee, concave bottom contours producing lift and speed, while allowing lightning fast rail to rail transitions and tight in the pocket surfing...

www.campbelldesigned.com

 

[casa_mugrienta]

just like there’s a time and a place for PU/PE.

There's never not a time and place for PE.

 

[sdsrfr]

There's never not a time and place for PE.

polyester? I’ll bite - nitro lacquer for guitars, all day!

 

[casa_mugrienta]

I couldn't disagree more. Pros ride what they ride because it works for them. Their boards are super dialed in. Most of them ride PU/PE because it is the best product. Every one of them could be riding Dark Arts or other super high tech gimmickry yet very few do and even the few who do ride such boards only do so in specific conditions at specific venues.

You're trying to reason with compulsive shoppers.

That's not a hit on the compulsive shoppers; they are just simply compulsive shoppers and like all compulsive shoppers go for the latest "thing" and once the dopamine drops are on to the next "thing".

If all these alt "techs" were so great the pros would be riding them. They have the money, the time, and the access to waves to explore all this stuff and it's always back to PU.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

To say all the top pros have abandoned alt tech is ridiculous. Every construction has its time/place. Toledo rode that DA because it was a magic board for those conditions. Same with JJF but he broke his. The few guys willing to experiment will be back on them when they get another magic one and the conditions call for it. And by the way Toledo and JJF both looked fantastic on those boards, but the point remains that the majority of the tour is still not willing to experiment.

Are they still riding DA?

There are plenty of free surfers riding alt tech. Craig Anderson, Nate Tyler, Dave Rastovich, Machado, ect….. The fact that they ride alt tech is probably one of the biggest reasons that a larger percentage of the general surfing population today are willing to try alt tech than ever before. They’ve helped to normalize it and show it can be ridden well in average conditions.

The "alt tech" seems to often correlate with lower skill level on the non-pro side of the equation.

Disposable income adult learner types LOVE alt tech.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Note I said "often" correlates.

Not "always".

 

[freeride76]

To say all the top pros have abandoned alt tech is ridiculous. Every construction has its time/place. Toledo rode that DA because it was a magic board for those conditions. Same with JJF but he broke his. The few guys willing to experiment will be back on them when they get another magic one and the conditions call for it. And by the way Toledo and JJF both looked fantastic on those boards, but the point remains that the majority of the tour is still not willing to experiment.

There are plenty of free surfers riding alt tech. Craig Anderson, Nate Tyler, Dave Rastovich, Machado, ect….. The fact that they ride alt tech is probably one of the biggest reasons that a larger percentage of the general surfing population today are willing to try alt tech than ever before. They’ve helped to normalize it and show it can be ridden well in average conditions.

And weren’t you just telling us how great your new wood board was and how you couldn’t detect any performance disadvantages?

Machado is a FW guy.

Craig Anderson is PU/PE.
Rasta rides everything , but the last few times I have seen him he's been on a PU/PE.

There's being wrong, and then there's just a flat out refusal to face reality.

The pros have experimented with alt-tech and gone back to PU/PE, with staggeringly few exceptions that only prove to highlight the above fact.

Looking at the current rankings I'm going to say that 33 of the Top 34 are riding PU/PE (only Slater on EPS/Epoxy build -maybe).
If those numbers don't convince you, nothing will.

Wood is going back even further than PU/PE- and it may catch on, for durability and environmental reasons ( I hope).

 

[GromsDad]

You're trying to reason with compulsive shoppers.

That's not a hit on the compulsive shoppers; they are just simply compulsive shoppers and like all compulsive shoppers go for the latest "thing" and once the dopamine drops are on to the next "thing".

If all these alt "techs" were so great the pros would be riding them. They have the money, the time, and the access to waves to explore all this stuff and it's always back to PU.

In golf there are a sh!t ton of recreational golfers who think the newest latest greatest marketing gimmick will buy them better scores. It doesn't work that way with golf or surfing.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Machado is a FW guy.

Craig Anderson is PU/PE.
Rasta rides everything , but the last few times I have seen him he's been on a PU/PE.

There's being wrong, and then there's just a flat out refusal to face reality.

The pros have experimented with alt-tech and gone back to PU/PE, with staggeringly few exceptions that only prove to highlight the above fact.

Looking at the current rankings I'm going to say that 33 of the Top 34 are riding PU/PE (only Slater on EPS/Epoxy build -maybe).
If those numbers don't convince you, nothing will.

Wood is going back even further than PU/PE- and it may catch on, for durability and environmental reasons ( I hope).

I've seen Rob surf a few times in person over the past year - never riding FW. And actually other than FW promos I've never seen him ride a FW IRL.

Kelly has been known to ride boards painted to look like FW.

With the wood thing, I happened on a Varuna demo in Cabarita, they had about 15 different boards there, the waves sucked but I did fondle this one:

Renaud Cardinal - Heritage Twin — Varuna Surf

Performance Twin Fin An homage to Mark Richards’ classic shape, this versatile, responsive and fast twin fin combines speed and maneuverability for a classic, all-time ride to race down the line or carve in softer surf. Ideal for intermediate and advanced surfers. Optimal Conditions: 2 – 4 fee

www.varuna.surf

At 5'4 the thing was still so heavy...made me think coming into contact with that board in any wave trending in the direction of top to bottom is going to leave the rider quite injured or in the case of the head, KO'd.

 

[Fishyhb]

polyester? I’ll bite - nitro lacquer for guitars, all day!

love the smell of a Gibson and nothing wears better than nitro

 

[casa_mugrienta]

In golf there are a sh!t ton of recreational golfers who think the newest latest greatest marketing gimmick will buy them better scores. It doesn't work that way with golf or surfing.

Same with guitars.

 

[GromsDad]

See the comments at the bottom.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

There's being wrong, and then there's just a flat out refusal to face reality.

Imagine you've been paying double for your boards for a decade, only to have to admit to yourself the best option was right in front of you the entire time and has been available since 1958.

Then imagine your wife finds out.

 

[Swallow Tail]

polyester? I’ll bite - nitro lacquer for guitars, all day!

love the smell of a Gibson and nothing wears better than nitro

It’s all about the application of the finish, no matter the type of finish- more important than the type of finish.

trivia time.
I just took these pics. Can you guess approx age of these? All have nitro finish

Two are two years apart, the third is ~30 years newer. All player/natural wear n tear.no fake $h!t

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Derek Hynd say Occy's surfing immediately went next level his first session on a Rusty.

A drastic knock your-socks-off improvement.

That was around 40 years ago.

Can the same be said for any "tech"?