LeeD

[highline rider]

i came across a saylocs post that had a guy from a boogie boarding background talking with a "LeeD" about rails, was this you? If it was, what are these hexagonal rails you mentioned? whats the point of them?

 

[LeeD]

Hi HR
Could be. About a year ago, there were over 4 "LeeD"'s and derivitives on the surfing and windsurfing forums. Most were people who posted to discredit me, most Euro's, and most seemed to have gotten bored with pretending to be me and giving silly, pointless posts....like I do.
I assume you mean on surfboards.
At Wise's shop in the early '70's, somehow interest in the hex rails (sharp,chined)got started, and Bob shaped a few for Rodney Recluse and I think, one for Ron Romero (I know, nobody cares!).
Got to ride both boards, and they were much looser for bouncing off the wall, for off the lips, and for tube riding than conventional railed low egg shapes. Those hex chines were only from the front foot forwards, as the tail rails were still low single bevel hard.
Loosness is nice for vertical perfomance surfing, but not so good for hi trim tube riding. Rod was a trimmer, an old guy, and surfed from forwards on the board. He liked to show and loan the board to lots of surfers, but ultimately, his next 10 boards were all low egg railed. Ron just got into his music.
Boogie boards have those rails to stay really loose, allow sideslipping, be easy and cheap to release from the molds, and actually rely on the rider to drag his inside leg and fin to hold the high line. A boogie board with low egg rails would be stiff and unresponsive, and maybe get sucked too high up the face, to repeatedly perform air drops while trying to trim for speed.
Did I bore you to death yet? I tried.