R-TAK
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 3:59 pm
OK, this may take a while to come to fruition, but a build has at least commenced.
'R-TAK' because it is my derivative of the late, great Donald Takayama's Scorpion design (well that was the starting point).
As some will know, I have been riding a 7' Takayama Scorpion (when not on the JD) and it is a good all-round board for some git of my age, flexibility and skill. For those that don't know they look like this… think shortboard tail, longboard nose, very flat entry rocker with longboard style concave. Think they are flat through the guts then just a vee through the tail.
Mine is the Surftech build so decidedly floaty, which can be good and bad. Good in that you get most things you paddle for, bad in that you get pasted a fair bit duck diving. Anyway, a good travelling board and of late been riding it fairly exclusively as a quad, in spite of box/FCS configuration. It's quad set-up, whilst not measured, I would call more rail-based than the McKee formula I would normally look to.
That said, it's a good board and has been ridden in a variety of waves and conditions only limited by the jockey. However, I have had the feeling I could get away with something similar and smaller, since the JD is a tad over 6'3".
It has been well over a year since I sniffed resin and felt it time to get back to it. I have started with a Surfblank's 'pink' density, the lightest in their extensive range. It's light because their is more air, we know what that means - softer. Primarily used I would think for competition style boards. I have used one before and compressed the deck fairly quickly, but wasn't surprised or disappointed.
The idea is to build this a little differently too minimise the deck compression, but more on that as it unfolds.
So, taking the Takayama as a starting point and having ridden a few pintails before, pintail it will remain. The nose is where the major change will occur, not because the Tak doesn't work, I just don't think I need it and I certainly don't noseride.
This will also be my first foray using the AKU SHAPER software for machining, I have used the software quite a bit to produce spin templates and the like but that is all. That took me to here, which is now quite removed from the Takayama… the pointy end is the tail. 6'9" x a lot x a little.
As a result of the now pulled in nose, the nose rocker is also more shortboard-like but still low.
Machining has been very quickly and efficiently performed by Howie at Akurate Industries Mona Vale and he matched up the profile for the best blank and rocker fit. http://www.chpsurfboards.com.au/?page_id=26
I'll post a photo of the machined board next.
Sorry for the long preamble. Hope the FF doesn't visit…
'R-TAK' because it is my derivative of the late, great Donald Takayama's Scorpion design (well that was the starting point).
As some will know, I have been riding a 7' Takayama Scorpion (when not on the JD) and it is a good all-round board for some git of my age, flexibility and skill. For those that don't know they look like this… think shortboard tail, longboard nose, very flat entry rocker with longboard style concave. Think they are flat through the guts then just a vee through the tail.
Mine is the Surftech build so decidedly floaty, which can be good and bad. Good in that you get most things you paddle for, bad in that you get pasted a fair bit duck diving. Anyway, a good travelling board and of late been riding it fairly exclusively as a quad, in spite of box/FCS configuration. It's quad set-up, whilst not measured, I would call more rail-based than the McKee formula I would normally look to.
That said, it's a good board and has been ridden in a variety of waves and conditions only limited by the jockey. However, I have had the feeling I could get away with something similar and smaller, since the JD is a tad over 6'3".
It has been well over a year since I sniffed resin and felt it time to get back to it. I have started with a Surfblank's 'pink' density, the lightest in their extensive range. It's light because their is more air, we know what that means - softer. Primarily used I would think for competition style boards. I have used one before and compressed the deck fairly quickly, but wasn't surprised or disappointed.
The idea is to build this a little differently too minimise the deck compression, but more on that as it unfolds.
So, taking the Takayama as a starting point and having ridden a few pintails before, pintail it will remain. The nose is where the major change will occur, not because the Tak doesn't work, I just don't think I need it and I certainly don't noseride.
This will also be my first foray using the AKU SHAPER software for machining, I have used the software quite a bit to produce spin templates and the like but that is all. That took me to here, which is now quite removed from the Takayama… the pointy end is the tail. 6'9" x a lot x a little.
As a result of the now pulled in nose, the nose rocker is also more shortboard-like but still low.
Machining has been very quickly and efficiently performed by Howie at Akurate Industries Mona Vale and he matched up the profile for the best blank and rocker fit. http://www.chpsurfboards.com.au/?page_id=26
I'll post a photo of the machined board next.
Sorry for the long preamble. Hope the FF doesn't visit…