widowmaker and bonzers

[diggerdickson]

Been reading a fair bit on this shape and design lately, they and bonzers have always fasinated me, has anyone out there made one or own one. Would be interested in hearing about your thoughts on the 2 different boards, their advantages and pitfalls, any pics to view would be great as well.

[BDL77]

Nice post digger and I've been thinking of a Bonzer or Widowmaker as my next board so very interested to see the replies.

[Wingnut]

I've got a 7'0" Widowmaker on order from Josh Dowling, almost finished with little bonzer type side fins.

http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/speedneedle

[diggerdickson]

jeez, that looks sweet, looking forward to hearing a report on it and seeing the finished product

[homebush]

Have recently got my 3rd Rusty "Piranha". This one in EPS/Epoxy 6'6" x 21" x 2 1/2". Board is much faster than a thruster but does'nt turn as well. This would not suit young gun but as I'm over 50 it is a really nice cruisy board without getting into something way bigger. C5 fin set-up looks strange but it works

[pridmore]

back to topic...both widowmakers and bonzers are designs that perform best when the waves have some power, like a single I guess, they need some push to get them working well IMO...the bigger fin area makes them less responsive in weaker and slower waves but very nice flowing feel to them when waves are on....suited to rail surfing and trimming with flow, not suited to modern high perf stuff really....
I have made several lately with the 2 + 1 set ups and my MP3 has a more upright centre fin which is also smaller than usual for a board of it size and style but I am getting better turning and response from them like this and also combined with the curved side fins, they have drive , speed, hold as well as still turning surprisingly well...obviously other design elements are important to make them work but I am just trying to make mine perform better in a wider variety of conditions, guess you would say average to quality waves, these fin configs just arent as good in mush as a thruster or quad so they are a board that you would have in the quiver but not the only board as they arent an all-rounder IMHO...heaps of fun but....

[Beerfan]

Rusty pirhana?? That's not even close to a widow or bonzer is it?.

I rode a Mackie 3 fin bonzer on a few waves at a rivermouth. Was hard to work out, and was very narow ( 17" something ). I think mark is on the money, you'd need a hollow punchy wave to get it going. I really like the footage of neal purchase jr ( in fact ANY footage of neal purchase jr riding ANYTHING!!! ) in glass love ( ? ) riding one. Awesome, though i could never surf anyhwere near as good as him.

Cheers

[BDL77]

I have a Mackie rocket fish which is one of the fastest boards I've ridden, he is a great shaper. 17" that's a twig.

Beautiful boards: http://www.bonzer5.com

Check the photo's section.

[boardscape avalon]

I was amazed at how Davey Miller surfed back door in the late 80s on campbell bros bonzers.They tracked a bit sometimes but still he made some long sections on them, and at that time anybody not on a conventional thruster was considered a freak , often he would cop a verbal spray from guys like johnny boy etc...surfed better than most of em

[steve shearer]

I've got 2 bonzers from the Campbell Bros.
a 7ft pintail semi-gun I got shaped for Indo and the Point.

Amazing board.








Unbelievable feelings of hold and carve at high speed.

I also got a 5'10" octafish. Wouldn't ride it in Sydney but in small North Coast Point waves you get the same feelings of hold at high speed.
Definitely not for everybody but if you've got an urge I suggest you fulfil it.
The old surfection (Quiksliver?) shop in Manly has got some cherry one there.

[diggerdickson]

With this shaping bug at the moment that ive got Im thinking down the track, a long way down the track of trying to shape one of these

[steve shearer]

the bottom is complex with quite extreme concaves.

[Chillin]

If you are ever in the Newcastle area, head out to Redhead and go to the Kuta Lines factory outlet. John has a massive collection of old boards and he specifically targets types, like pintails, stingers, singles, 80's etc. But by far the most impressive is his colection of Bonzers. I spent a long three hours talking to him and checking em all out. Some had concaves, some had V, and some had complex bottoms combining both, but all were very interesting. Worth a visit for the good cheap gear too.Nice bloke

[diggerdickson]

the bottom is complex with quite extreme concaves.

bummer, but I suppose im a long way off attempting something like that then, but its something I would like to adventually try down the track, I got plenty of time. My main aim has sorta changed over the last week or so after talking to huei on the phone and now I just wanna be able to make boards for my boy who is 4, simple stuff until I get good enough, like that song "one day over the rainbow"

[tiger]

Sounds like you've got plenty of time to make boards for your kid, if he's only 4. It's yourself that you should be making boards for ATM.

The way blanks are these days, you don't actually have to do much to get a reasonably decent shape.
They've already got rocker, foil and deck roll to some degree. Basically you've just gotta knock the skin off both sides. Cut your outline, foil out the extremities, and turn the rails, and you have a shaped board.

You've gotta realise that even minor concaves are difficult for a 1st timer, so keep the design basic. Something like a full outline/ semi fish thing that is suited to simple contours. It will be easy to shape/glass/sand. And at the end you'll you'll be stoked out of your melon when your ride it, and you'll learn a heap about each process in the making of it.

Think about the more "exotic" designs after you've got the basics down.

[huie]

hey tim i think i have the brakes on him
hes first asign,ment is to turn that blank into 4 shapes :?

[boardscape avalon]

I've got 2 bonzers from the Campbell Bros.
a 7ft pintail semi-gun I got shaped for Indo and the Point.

Amazing board.








Unbelievable feelings of hold and carve at high speed.

I also got a 5'10" octafish. Wouldn't ride it in Sydney but in small North Coast Point waves you get the same feelings of hold at high speed.
Definitely not for everybody but if you've got an urge I suggest you fulfil it.
The old surfection (Quiksliver?) shop in Manly has got some cherry one there.

[boardscape avalon]

that board looks outrageously good , is curotta still working in there? its exactly what i think he had .remembering it was the late 80s early 90s he was pulling in pretty big time at b-door..i heard them yelling at him when he was paddling back out after getting hideously shacked on 8 foot barrels.numerous times.calling him a haole ...