First Custom Stoke

A place for longboarders, eggers, fish riders... if alternative surfcraft is your game, here's the place to chat about it

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pridmore
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Post by pridmore » Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:04 pm

how did you know, have you got a spy-cam somewhere ??? Cunny funt arent ya ??? yes, shapers do love good news...the MORE the merrier actually...

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ric_vidal
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Post by ric_vidal » Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:10 pm

pridmore wrote:??? Cunny funt arent ya ???
50% correct :D
pridmore wrote:yes, shapers do love good news...the MORE the merrier actually...
Like most work me thinks, MP.

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oldman
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Post by oldman » Tue Jul 08, 2008 5:13 pm

ric_vidal wrote: Leave in a warm spot out of the sun. Car might be a good option this time of year if it isn’t too hot.
Yep, thought about that Ric, but I heard about this shaper who did it to his new hexagon board and got a bubble in it which ruined the board and 2 months work was down the drain.

Ric, you and Mark have inspired me to get back to buying myself new custom boards, and the kids are starting to get used to vegemite sandwiches for lunch and dinner, so the next order is coming your way big brother.

I hope I haven't offended you by buying from Mark. He's a high pressure salesman that just caught me at a weak moment. i.e. I was awake.

P.S. Ric, take a look at Mark's website and look at the fish boards. There's a blue one there with a passing resemblance to something you were riding.

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ric_vidal
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Post by ric_vidal » Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:32 pm

oldman wrote:[Yep, thought about that Ric, but I heard about this shaper who did it to his new hexagon board and got a bubble in it which ruined the board and 2 months work was down the drain.
Yeah but... he’s an idiot :D think of the knowledge base developing and there were reasons/lessons :roll: I might make a contribution to surfing one day, but don’t hold your breath.
oldman wrote:the kids are starting to get used to vegemite sandwiches for lunch and dinner.
Kids are soft I tell yas, it was good enough for us... more than happy to send work other peoples’ way. Still think, actually know, Rich at Pure is also a good candidate, but you wouldn’t have got from him or me what Mark has made. I am convinced before you get your first wave you will love it.
oldman wrote:I hope I haven't offended you by buying from Mark. He's a high pressure salesman that just caught me at a weak moment. i.e. I was awake.

Yeah he’s a pRICk, we know. :lol: Psst, also told he gets merrier the more orders he gets. He might smile more for the camera yet. :twisted: I have no expectations of anyone, got to be 100% faith in the outcome for my players and that means don’t go by what I may ride as that can change like underwear. Which reminds me...
oldman wrote:P.S. Ric, take a look at Mark's website and look at the fish boards. There's a blue one there with a passing resemblance to something you were riding.
I have several times, nothing but nothing resembles what I ride, you know that. :P

mustkillmulloway
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Post by mustkillmulloway » Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:43 pm

i refuse buy another board till he does his bloody edges :!: :twisted:


oldman wrote:
Image

.
^is that....thining on top there mark :shock:

no it's the light.....than again most shapers go bold early :?

pridmore
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Post by pridmore » Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:18 pm

not balding yet mate, think thats a massive lump of dandruff ( or foam dust, or light ), not much stress in my life these days to make my hair fall out....Maybe I will trim my edges, maybe I wont, ..I would rather be surfing or shaping or hanging with my family...the lawn isnt high on my priority list ( as you can see )....

I did smile in the 'MORE the merrier " board pics and that was just for you RV, I am smiling on the inside...when do I get to see your melon ?? I might get my young fella to hold the blanks and I will take the pics...

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oldman
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Post by oldman » Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:05 pm

rightbrainpositive wrote:..........
3 things I got to say:

1. This is the fastest board I've ever surfed. The first wave I caught was micro and the speed caught me by surprise. In all my life I've never moved so quickly across a waist high wave (and i was barely 'pumping'). I guess what they say about quads are true! I'll have to get used to having so much speed (more fun than trying to constantly generate speed).

2. I don't know what I was thinking about when I was worried about 'too much foam'. This board paddles sooooo good (no need to ride my wife's minimal at mushy tea tree) and is more responsive than my old thruster. It feels loose but in control... if that makes sense.

3. Also on the 'too much foam' thing... i was worried about how it would go when the waves were a little suckier/steeper. just before i started thinking about paddling back in, a head high wave snuck through breaking near the rocks, sucking up and a growing a little bigger than when I first looked at it. I didn't have to paddle, I got on easy and carved into a sweet bottom turn that slingshot me into the pocket at breakneck speed...
I then got dropped-in on by a greedy grom :shock:
but at least I know that steeper/sucky drops shouldn't be a problem 8)
I've got back to Mark via PM with some feedback but wanted to get a few more surfs in before going public.

I thought I would quote you RB+ as so much of what you said explains exactly my first and subsequent impressions. I had no concerns about the foam though, mine is less than yours and I was quite sure that there would be the right amount. I'll jus throw in a few more thoughts;

Dealing with Mark was great and trouble free. I was just feeding off his stoke and trying to be clear in my own mind what I was looking for. We did it all by email and through 'vibes'. Workmanship and spray job are great, it really is a shit-hot looking board.

Particularly I wanted it to be a good paddling board. Full tick there. It paddles beautifully, very stable, easy work AND it duck dives as deeply and easily as any board I've had.

Fast - this was top of my wish list. Like you RB+ probably the fastest board I've ever ridden.

Other things - that slingshot effect after a bottom turn. Unbelievable. I even got off balance on the first wave, picked up my balance again and leaned over, expecting it to stall on the flat water. Instead I got the slingshot effect straight back high in the pocket. Surprised and stunned me, and of course I then had speed which enables you to get out of all manner of errors in my surfing technique.

I've had a few waves since and none have been even remotely close to ideal conditions, but the board handles it brilliantly. It's very forgiving in a chop/slop conditions, I'm assuming because of the width from the middle of the board to the nose. It maintains its speed in all parts of the wave, and holds nicely whether I'm at the flat at the bottom of the wave or the steeper parts of the top of thebreaking wave.

The somewhat forgiving nature of the board had me try a few things that often don't come off. For example, taking off on a wave and having a section crumble in front of you, usually without enough speed to get around the section. I threw the board into the foam as high as I could get it and tried to hold it to use the momentum from that to get around. the board has great stability and held easily in the foam and then I was able to kick down and around to make the next section.

That on its own proves that it will be invaluable for me in the average surf that I often have to scrap around in.

As far as turning goes, it is super responsive. Because it has so much speed I haven't even thought about pumping the board at all, I'm just directing it around the waves, finding the energy, feeling the response. It has sketboard like qualities of simple turns, literally just leaning over and watching the board follow underneath.

Got a couple of waves that were a bit longer where I was able to have a little fun getting up some speed off the wave and then trying to turn it over as hard as I could to see if I could find its limits.

I don't think I have come close to the board's limits, but I hit mine pretty quick. I have been really disappointed in my surfing of late, partly due to lack of time in the water, partly due to lack of those really nice conditions that really bring you back, and partly due to my other boards just not being right for me. This has taken a long time to come to, but I can start to imagine myself getting some surfing form back. My competitive urges are kicking in and I want to be as good a surfer as I used to be, or better. (I don't care how I compare with others)

Anyways, I'm definitely working on my back foot placement, as has been discussed on a number of forums lately. Certainly needs my attention as I have been surfing a variety of 6'6'' boards for a few years and need to adjust my take off etc for this, a 6'2''. Better back foot placement will also help me to push more in the turns to find out what I can do on it.

The board is that good that I have to re-think everything I'm doing in my surfing. I'll have to think more quickly and imagine a bit more broadly, because what I have seen so far indicates that the board will allow me to get to parts of the wave that I haven't been able to surf for a while.

So I'm largely on a personal re-build, questionning everything, trying new things and seeing what happens.

Happy to say more or respond to pm's if anyone has any questions. Can't recommend it highly enough, except if you surf at Maroubra, in which case I don't recommend it at all.

Can't wait to get it in some ideal conditions, or even on something with a bit more oomph than a 2 - 3 foot mushburger.

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Post by pridmore » Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:36 pm

thats great, I am stokd that you are so happy with it. We did discuss all details pretty thoroughly and I think the results is due to all that discussion, I even feel that e-mail is better than face to face because there is no need to exagerate your abilty to save face , or no intimidation from the shaper due to his knowledge and possibly the customers lack of knowledge, and basically no embarrassment to ask any questions at all, no matter how silly or simple they may seem. Anyway, I am wrapped that you are happy with the board and hope you get heaps of fun from it...

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oldman
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Post by oldman » Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:18 pm

I'm looking forward to getting more time on the board and giving more feedback Mark.

Hope that RB+ also keeps posting about his board, which also looks a beaut.

And also very interested in fong's board which looks like it has a number of similarities except for the square tail instead of the bat. Really interested to know how different/the same that is.

pridmore
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Post by pridmore » Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:25 am

Fongs is actually more of a standard shortboard design, its got a narrower tail and nose measurement but its reasonably wide at its wide point, which is about 20 1/4" , (I think)and more rocker thruoughout, Fongs was designed to suit Angourie Point and to suit someone around the 80-90kg mark, but the extra width and volume ( 2 5/8" thick )will also make it go well in the smallish beachies...lots of curve in the planshape should make it able to be turned very tightly and with the quad set up there should be heaps of speed and drive. The cut off square isnt done much these days but thought it would suit this design and make it loose off the top, as well as adding some stability and a touch more floatation for the small or weaker waves, hopefully its a fairly good all-rounder that really likes nice point waves ???? guess we should see if Fong agrees ?

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Post by mustkillmulloway » Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:05 pm

pridmore wrote: guess we should see if Fong agrees ?
6'3 1/4 x 20 1/4 x 2 5/8

best surf i've had on it was solid head high granite

went superb 8)

have surf it in smaller point stuff....still superb

no beachies yet

it's the rails....that edge and the tail , shit hadn't rode a square since a mark sainsbury hand me down....they work...the cut off square seems give me a real postive feel....like this is the end the board no bullshit type feel behind the backfoot

it's a fluke...i got lucky.....i'm reassured i can pick a good board by sight ( rightbrain will back me on this....knew his board was sickness and testing agrees)

i've ( finally) retired my old fish after ...shit...4-5 years faithful service

it's so refreshing be on something new :idea:

( when theres swell ) :cry:

i think the weird length 6'3 1/4 is the key :idea:

and as far as dealing with mark

his a selfish bastard :lol:

his a shaper who cares about "your" design and surfing experience rather than pumping boards out too meet a daily quota- and his after sale care is beyond the norm

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Post by the trout » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:26 pm

pridmore wrote:had a session on a mates 6'1 Fat-Bat (very similar to your one RB+) at punchy 3-4ft waves at the point today and it was so much fun, didnt want to swap back to my thruster. Only thing I felt was it was pretty loose of the top on my backhand (when I was really giving it some )so put the tail stabilizer in and it was great...love to know what you think RB+, if you feel the same especially on pushy waves and on backhand...stoked on it and re-inspired , not big noting just so happy that it went so well.....so easy to get waves , out paddling shortboarders and pissing them off no doubt...instant speed, no pumping , just straight into it.... :lol:


nice board what blank are you using
if i am not being rude

pridmore
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Post by pridmore » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:27 pm

The 6'3 1/4 " was meant to be a 6'4 but planshape didnt look quite right so pulled it back 1/2" and then when I measured it up at then end it was even shorter but I dont think board have to be spot on to the inch ? I knew you would like that board Fong, especially after seeing you surf at Maroochydore that day, an was always thinking of Angourie when shaping it, so very happy it goes well at Granite and Noosa points...yes I am a bastard !

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Post by pridmore » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:30 pm

empire foam, pretty good stuff

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Post by the trout » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:52 pm

pridmore wrote:empire foam, pretty good stuff



i thought so your on the right tram eh,
i have lots a time for peter.

you said you were from noosa what part & when

sorry to be a bit of topic

pridmore
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Post by pridmore » Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:31 pm

Nah, I am from Moloolaba and now at Yamba...

rightbrainpositive
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Post by rightbrainpositive » Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:19 pm

mustkillmulloway wrote: his a shaper who cares about "your" design and surfing experience rather than pumping boards out too meet a daily quota- and his after sale care is beyond the norm
I think Fong's final line needs to be emphasised:
his a shaper who cares about "your" design and surfing experience rather than pumping boards out too meet a daily quota- and his after sale care is beyond the norm

:D

pridmore
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Post by pridmore » Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:49 pm

now thats a big wrap. :shock: .thanks guys..maybe I can slacken rite off then...No, I actually really enjoy the whole process of creating the best board I can for the customer and get a big buzz when they are stoked on the new board....its almost like getting customs all the time.... :lol: :D

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