Kelly Slater's Wizard's Sleeve (and the like)

[Little]

Mine's 6'3". I'm 6'1" and 95 kg and it floats me like a cork. I could have gone down to the 6' but I don't know if that would've gone any better for me. I usually ride a Simon TPF3 at 6'8" in the small stuff and I was happy with it but the Minifish is a flying machine in comparison.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Well to give you an idea, I'm 87kg and the 5'9" is still too much cork for me. I could have even gone for the 5'6" without too many problems I think.

It is a small wave board, but it still handles itself to some extent in slightly larger waves. When the waves have some power it has a tendency to sit above the water not surfing in the wave, if you know what I mean.

Fast and great fun

[Little]

I think you're right, Captain but I think I'm liking that sensation of riding a bit high. I'm 50 as well, so I really appreciate the float. I rode it off the pipe at Collaroy in about 4 ft clean at breakneck speed and I surfed a pretty full Palmy today and just floated it 'round but I'll probably be on here with some horrific recounts if I take it into something decent. All the same, in your average Sydney slop I think it's special.

[onawave]

hmmmm,

im really concerned about the board just being too thick? i currently have a bush rat, which is 5'11 (i think of might of stated that b4) and i like the thickness, but its just too long (imho)

in saying that tho, last time i took that board up the coast (seal rocks) i got one of my best barrels ever... (the thing flies in 4 - 6 surf)

[Cpt.Caveman]

Well there we have it. This is how a Wizard's Sleeve type board goes in really good surf with size:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9HF6K6o_G8

Great surfing. Those cutbacks on the lefts really showed the quads hold, I have to admit.

[steve shearer]

thats a deep6 not a wizard sleeve.
Different board altogether.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Really? Was that a deep 6 quad?

[bohdidontsurf]

Not really Steve, it is essentially a step up Wizard Sleeve. The concept and basic planshape are the same, its just a bit longer and a little different in the nose.

[pridmore]

Kelly said it was almost the same as last years Pipe board ( deep six ? ) but with a few adjustments to nose and rocker, thats what I heard in an interview after he just beat that Hank guy who won Halewia comp and he was ripping at Pipe too ....no sponsors either...
KS' board looked less pulled in to me, bit more area for the quads maybe, but it was really working for him, be interesting to see if others ride them in similar waves in the near future.....he might even win Pipe I reckon...

[Cpt.Caveman]

Well there we go. KS became the pipe runner-up surfing a 5'6" quad in the final day of competition. Pretty exciting for alternative boards. I'd love to see where pro's could take quads with the mix of talent and water time in quality waves.

[axolotl]

i'm pretty sure that the board in the final was a copy of maurice cole board.
which is fine i guess all shapers take "inspiration" from others, but what shits me is that when asked about it he said it was an adapted flyer.
if your going to ride a shapers board and then base your board around its design at least give credit when its due.

[mical]

^^^
He rides for Al Merrick . . enough said.

[Cpt.Caveman]

True, it has to be a major marketing advantage for Al Merrick for Kelly to be parading around on his "new", "alternative", and "exciting" shapes. Hell, you can buy a CI Wizard's Labia off the rack now thanks to Kelly riding it at Kirra and banging a few videoed sessions here and there.

I loved the tight lines he was drawing with the board he rode on the final day. Really impressive stuff! I could see some sort of a future for surfing there. Tighter and faster lines that hold well and carry speed into the next section. Really exciting!

[mical]

I was more alluding to the fact that Al's never given anyone credit for design ideas in the past Cpt, so why would KS.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[dazbloke]

And what is the deal with the dual rail stringers and concave deck ??

[mical]

There was a very long thread on the surfermag forum recently where a shaper discussed his new shape and how it was working really well and Dane Reynolds rode it and was stoked. The shape got a bit of press on surfermag's front page and a few other places, etc. Dane then took it to Burton/CI and suddenly all references to the original board and non-CI shaper mysteriously disappeared off the web. Shortly afterwards Dane had a new board, complete with oh-so-real background story - the Dumpster Diver.

See Mark, that could have been you

[onawave]

There was a very long thread on the surfermag forum recently where a shaper discussed his new shape and how it was working really well and Dane Reynolds rode it and was stoked. The shape got a bit of press on surfermag's front page and a few other places, etc. Dane then took it to Burton/CI and suddenly all references to the original board and non-CI shaper mysteriously disappeared off the web. Shortly afterwards Dane had a new board, complete with oh-so-real background story - the Dumpster Diver.

that frikken suks....