one world, one longboard

[sonicplus43]

Crew,

If there could be only one longboard in your life, for all conditions including a trip or two to heavy destinations, what would it be?
Does such a thing exist? I currently have two and am wondering if i realistically reduce this to two.
My thoughts are that it might look like what Bonga & the Hawaiians ride and even have ( dare i say it? ) three fins. Maybe 9'3" x 22 1/2 x 2 3/4 with a rounded pin tail.

thoughts?

 

[sonicplus43]

sorry - that should have read " reduce this to one."

apologies...

 

[LeeD]

Hey
I'm much lighter than you guys, at 155lbs., and I find longboards can't catch the kind and size waves I like to ride any better than gun boards, so if I had only ONE board, for everything surfing, it'd be a 8' x 19.5 gun, with about a 11" tail, about 3" thick, turned down rails, panel V from widepoint back, no concave, and 3 Bahne boxes.
Yes, I'd be undergunned some days, but it's a tradeoff.

 

[sonicplus43]

Hi LeeD,

that board sounds pretty sweet - if i could have only one board fullstop (living near good waves - as i do) then something like this would be nice. Perhaps a little long for me.
What i really want to hear though, is your opinion on longboards ( ie noseriders, logs etc..). Kind of a micro discussion within the whole oneboard concept..
thoughts on longboards ?

 

[razorfish]

I both shortboard and longboard, and out of the longboard quiver, if I had to keep just one, it would probably be a a couple year old Takayama double ender. Think he also calls it the retro noserider. 9.0 18"nose - 22.5 mid - 15.5 pintail 3" thick. Single 9" takayama fin. Compared to my other longboards, it's like riding a skateboard, noserides OK for only a 9 footer (I'm 165 lbs) Seems to really come into it's element around head high.

 

[Simple Ben]

Hey KB

If you just want one longboard then you had better make it a bloody strong one. Your record out at Jewey is not all that good huh, they just don't seem to stand up too well in the heavy stuff. What about that yellow one you used to ride out at lefts, that seemed pretty versatile, what were it's dimensions? I think the main thing is getting a longboard that can handle size. If it can do that then I'm pretty sure it will still function in small waves. It's not like your riding a plank for it's super high performance anyway. Then again, Im just your little Bro and you know much more about longboards than I. Most of the planks I've ridden were made in the sixties, weighed about 50kg and were full of dings. All you had to do was point them in the right direction and try to hang on.

 

[LeeD]

Hey KB
I don't think any traditional longboard, in the 8'6" to 10 range, will handle most of the waves I like to surf. All drop in too late, in the strong offshores, and are too floaty to hold onto for pushing thru, then too clumsy for riding the waves.
I surf beach breaks 80% of the time, at OB in San Francisco, and all longboards really do well there is to become two pieces at the first sign of an outside wave.
My choice IS a longboard for someone my size, in the size and kind of waves I surf.
For sure, I can surf 1.5' up to my current limit, about 10' with it. Any wider, I can't turn it well at full speed, it breaks pushing thru, and I can't hold onto it in the whitewash.
Kudos and all to Bonga, but he doesn't ride waves like Sunset, where the offshore winds have time to develop more speed and chop, and where the takeoff is not quite as steep as Pipe, so the winds just hold up that wide nose.
OK, I'm off this subject.

 

[foamdust]

I have a 9'0" roundabout longboard that I can depend on for most conditions I come across. The dimensions are 9'0" x 17" nose x 22" wide (at center) x 14" tail, round pintail. I shaped it for my weight (138 lbs.) to 2 3/4" thick, a slightly concaved nose, flat mid section, to a moderate panel vee in the tail. The rails are low and soft for most of the board, then the edge hardens the last 20". I use just a basic 9" single fin and its turns easy, holds in the barrel, and noserides pretty good. I've used this board in mushy stuff and have taken it out in solid 6 foot Haleiwa. It does everything pretty good. <img src="http://www.swaylocks.com/resources/uploads/947792FR001.jpg" alt=" - " />

 

[sonicplus43]

LeeD, FD & lobster,

thanks for your thoughts. Mine are pretty similar although leaning towards yours FD with regards to the versatility of the board in your photo.
The snappage issue is a real one with thse boards and I have indeed gone through a few in the last few years...thanks for the glowing reference simple ben.
Was just keen to hear some Hawaiian/Californian opinions on this - longboards around here are still mostly the domain of the old and the infirmed... performance in real waves is a hard thing to discuss as most only ride theirs in tiny stuff.
Was not aware that Bonga doesn't surf sunset. can see th point about the wind factor out there. My experience at sunset is all on a traditional gun shape.

mahalo for your thoughts.