Author Topic: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews  (Read 7851 times)

stoneaxe

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 12084
    • View Profile
    • Cape Cod Bay Challenge
Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« on: April 16, 2014, 06:34:49 PM »
There are a couple of things I've thought about for a long time and talked about here and there before but always as separate items. Now I'm thinking that combining them might work better for both and could be fun for all of us.

One of the best places available in the early days of the sport for unbiased reviews of boards was the original Ke Nalu site. Completely subjective reviews from a wide variety of riders (It doesn't get much wider than me on one end and Zane, Connor, and Slater on the other... ;)) on a wide variety of boards. I don't think anyone has assembled as many boards and paddles from as many vendors on one day for a demo since. Size weight, experience, age of paddlers was listed along with their answers to a list of standard questions for each board they tried. Pictures, and dims for all boards as well.

It seems to me like we could pull off something similar. Get together as many zoners as we can for a day wherever you are. I'll do one some where here. Informal, come and participate at your own peril. Any dings to be the $ responsibility to repair of the dinger... :P. Do a potluck, byob (hey...there's a name! the Zoners BYOBBB) Have a blast and make a few friends...put some faces to names. Do an on call thing waiting for waves. Maybe run it over the course of a couple months so we can try to get them all done within a similar wave size and quality.

If we can get just half dozen folks together at each location and swap boards for review it would be worth it. Then write up a review based on a standard form and post it in a thread here. Take a standard pic of shape and rocker and a few of folks making them work. Some bias is bound to creep in but if we can get a reasonable number of write ups per board it will let folks get some idea of where to start and what might work for them. The zone has always been the place to come to for info. This could formalize it a little with a standardized review. I would also expect some great threads to come out on each day that would be more the usual zone circus... ;)

One thing I think we would all have to agree on is no trash talking. I basically believe there are no bad boards. You might not like a board for whatever reason be it performance, price, color, or shapers hair style but like toilet seats, as me Dad always said, there is an ass for every one. Review as you will but be reasonable. If you don't like a board it's just not for you.

If there's enough interest, we'll need some local organizers 1st, we can talk about it more and discuss details.
« Last Edit: April 16, 2014, 06:36:39 PM by stoneaxe »
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

OUTSIDEWAVE

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1894
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2014, 06:42:06 PM »
I'd be game for it. out here in encinitas!
SEA BIRDS THEY DO TOUCH AND GO AS THE WORLD JUST TANGOES BY.... SO I SADDLE UP MY SEAHORSE WITH MY FLYROD IN MY HAND.... 10'3 King custom  10'6"  c4 da beachboy

supthecreek

  • Guest
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2014, 06:56:28 PM »
As I told you last week when you brought it up.... Great Idea!!!     I'm in  ;D

I can bring 3, fairly different boards, all different brands.... and I can easily contact more folks with a full array of nice styles and brands.

I liked your thoughts on Nantasket as a central location... 1.5 hours in every direction, covers a LOT of Zoners!

supdiscobay

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 797
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2014, 08:22:18 PM »
I went to a zoner arranged demo day at Oceanside, CA last year.  Corran Addison showed up with some boards too.  Great day to try some different boards.  Conditions were really bad, but that made figuring out if a board was stable very easy.

Get in touch with any local dealers or manufacturers reps, and see if they can bring some boards.
Have fun!!
8'5" Starboard Pocket Rocket, 8'0" Kazuma Fugu custom,  8'10" Kings Sidewinder, 10' Starboard Noserider, 14' BARK Carbon Dominator, SIC F16 V3, KeNalu and Quickblade paddles, 19' Eaton Prone, 67" Goode 9700

shankfoo

  • Rincon Status
  • ***
  • Posts: 147
    • View Profile
    • shankfoo on fb
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2014, 08:49:17 PM »
This is a sweet idea.
- Kevin -
| Angulo Shaka 14' | Surftech Bark Laird 14' | Coreban Alpha 12'6 | Uli 14' | Red 10'6 || QB Kanaha 100 86" |

Ichabod Spoonbill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 2174
  • Hudson Valley, NY
    • View Profile
    • HVH2O
    • Email
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2014, 04:30:31 AM »
I like this idea. It's a bit of a shlep for me (NYS), so I'd have to make a weekend out of it, or something of that nature. We'd need to think about accommodations.

Are you thinking summer?
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

Wetstuff

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 2318
    • View Profile
    • Wetstuff
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #6 on: April 17, 2014, 06:19:12 AM »
Great idea Axe,  ..a 'Try my board' day.  A few of us did an impromptu "Take-my-leash." session in the lineup last summer but we were pretty well known to one-another.   I can personally attest; 'Buy-to-try' is not a good way to build a quiver... so a 'Paddle and Sniff' day could be really useful. 

..but how do you screen out the schlubs who had nothing better to do that day?  I'd only really want people who already paddle, or people I know to paddle mine... 

Jim
Atlantis Mistress .. Blue Planet MultiTasker ..   Atlantis Venom

spookini

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1666
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2014, 06:31:10 AM »
...schlubs who had nothing better to do that day?

Yes, I'm a schlub.  But that fact aside, what could possibly be "better" use of a day than getting together with Zoners and paddling a bunch of OPB (other people's boards)?? :D

Ichs, the place Stoney mentioned is a nice family beach, and short drive from Plymouth Rock/Mayflower/whale watch charters, etc. etc.  Depending on your spousal unit, you could probably get away with presenting this as a kiddie/family educational trip that gets interrupted by a spontaneous gathering of 'Zoners.   ;)
« Last Edit: April 17, 2014, 06:41:41 AM by spookini »
-- My doctor says I suffer from low kook --
Do sharks attack?  Hope not
Do flying fish hate us?  Hells yes

PDLSFR

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1337
    • View Profile
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #8 on: April 17, 2014, 06:44:06 AM »
Count me in as I can bring 4-5 different size and different brand boards as well!! Also great idea to bring a variety of paddles to try as well.
Infinity RNB 8'2
Ron House 9'7
Ron House 10'7
Infinity New Deal 10'
Custom Infinity New Deal 10'
VEC 11'
Focus Bluefin 14'

stoneaxe

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 12084
    • View Profile
    • Cape Cod Bay Challenge
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2014, 07:25:04 AM »
I wouldn't want to just open it up to just anyone coming and whacking away. There has to be some control. I think keeping it to zoners only would eliminate most of the schlubs...(except spook.. ;)). I really want to keep it informal. It's just a bunch of friends (albeit online friends) getting together to swap boards and talk story, and have some fun. I have no wish to deal with insurance, signing waivers, etc... 
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

PDLSFR

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1337
    • View Profile
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2014, 08:46:59 AM »
Just a thought, another good spot for this could be 1st beach as it's also pretty central to Boston/Cape/CT and NY and has access to both flat water and on a good day some fun waves?
Infinity RNB 8'2
Ron House 9'7
Ron House 10'7
Infinity New Deal 10'
Custom Infinity New Deal 10'
VEC 11'
Focus Bluefin 14'

stoneaxe

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 12084
    • View Profile
    • Cape Cod Bay Challenge
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2014, 09:44:00 AM »
Since this would be swell dependant and we would need a wait period having a few alternatives would be good. We'll have to take into account what we can do at different beaches that time of year as well...having 10 or 15 SUPs show up in the narrow confines of 1st beach (in the summer) might not be a good idea.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

Wetstuff

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 2318
    • View Profile
    • Wetstuff
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2014, 09:51:21 AM »
Spook,  ...like Axe said; "I wouldn't want to just open it up to just anyone coming and whacking away." ...schlubs are people reading an announcement on Craigslist or simply heard about a meet-up and think this would be a cheap outing for their six kids.

I'd define it as: "You gotta bring one - to try one."   

Jim
Atlantis Mistress .. Blue Planet MultiTasker ..   Atlantis Venom

OUTSIDEWAVE

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1894
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2014, 11:37:35 AM »
yes bring one  to try one  but also if you keep it on the zone you could avoid craigslist.  what about  dealers?  on one one hand they may wan to open it to the public on the other  sharing boards with a few dedicated sup guys might be  a better alternative.. Thoughts? Is anyone who is interested in this form the san diego area?
SEA BIRDS THEY DO TOUCH AND GO AS THE WORLD JUST TANGOES BY.... SO I SADDLE UP MY SEAHORSE WITH MY FLYROD IN MY HAND.... 10'3 King custom  10'6"  c4 da beachboy

stoneaxe

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 12084
    • View Profile
    • Cape Cod Bay Challenge
Re: Zone Board Swap Day and Reviews
« Reply #14 on: April 17, 2014, 12:17:03 PM »
I won't be opening up what I do to the non-zone public. To many potential headaches...if dealers want to join in as zone members that's fine but if they want it open to the public they can be the one to run it and assume the liability. Keeping this simply a gathering of friends that are interested in getting together to try each others boards and then maybe write a review is as complicated as I'm willing to go.

Dealers also have a bias that others most likely do not, and this is not meant to be disparaging, they are dependant on how something gets reviewed to make a living. One of the things I will expect people to list on their reviews is any bias they may have. If you are a dealer or team rider be honest and make it known. Same for anyone, myself included. I feel beholden to a few companies and I'll state as much. I see this as a service to all of us that are always looking to see what might work for our next board and to the zone guests that are doing the same. We need to keep it as honest and open as possible.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

 


SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal