Author Topic: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!  (Read 43702 times)

blueplanetsurf

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Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« on: September 24, 2014, 10:30:06 AM »
Here a a couple of videos we shot at our weekly coaching group last week.  Coaching topic: Surfing on Raceboards.
Part one is on the beach coaching, the sound quality is not the best, sorry.  The second one is on the water with some great footage of our surfing session while the sun was setting.

Part 1- on land coaching
http://youtu.be/kkKtU_4KvAI

Part 2- on the water with voiceover. 
http://youtu.be/53-w03UfB5w
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

TallDude

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2014, 04:37:35 PM »
Nice videos as always Robert. I have a lot of fun surfing my 14' race board. A few weeks ago StandingDan and I went for a little distance paddle then mixed it up with some race board surfing. I my book, it's the perfect blend of cardio-then-fun. All the movements are in slow motion compared to a short surf SUP. You can make some big long bottom turns, head back to a high line and let the nose slide down again. Part of the fun of surfing race boards is taking the energy that is captured by that big board, and controlling it. Your right about a the strong leash too. I took a dive on a closeout, and the leash didn't stand a chance between my 240# and the big board getting rolled. I went for a swim with part of a coiled leash still attached to my ankle, holding my hat, throwing my paddle, and getting dragged down by my hip mounted water pack. Good thing I only had a 100 yds or so to swim.

BTW, I met Jenny the other day in Dana Point. We swapped boards, she paddled my unlimited and I paddled her Dark Horse. She said, "If a big guy like me can paddle her board, Robert should be able to." Not sure what that meant? Any way, she has a great spirit! Big Aloha.
It's not overhead to me!
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stoneaxe

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2014, 07:06:04 PM »
Nice....I frequently will bring my 14 along when I head out for surf. Particularly for long flat beach breaks like we have here at Newport. It kind of guarantees you won't get skunked. You can catch a ripple but its most fun for me when it's waist to chest at the break. Waves will start to build far out but can't be caught on a regular board. The looks I get as I paddle through the folks inside is priceless...I can see the shortboarders thinking WTF?... :). Once I get a few from way WAY outside and ride them to the beach though even some of the grumpy old longboarders seem to get it.

I love the long smooth turns. Kind of like downwinding but without all the bumps and balance challenge. I have to think that this is the closest to what the beach boys felt riding those massive koa boards. Glad we don't have to haul around 100+ lbs of lumber today though.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2014, 07:08:48 PM by stoneaxe »
Bob

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standuped

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2014, 07:29:14 PM »
That is super cool.  I love that green board!
Florida gear.. Bic 12'x31"~207L.. JP Fusion 10'8"x34"~190L..Angulo custom 9'6"x33"~160L.. SIC Fish 9'5"x29.6"~145L..Epic gear elite paddle~7"x75"..Oregon gear..JP Fusion#2..Foote Triton 10'4"x34"~174L.. Surftec Generator 10'6"x32.3"~167L..Kialoa Pipes 6 3/8"x75"...Me 6'1" 220 lbs circa 1959

supthecreek

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2014, 07:49:14 PM »
Excellent video... lots of fun... the more options that you can employ on the water, the better!
You certainly need a good skill set to surf a race board well.

At the Huntington Beach Pro last week, the Hawaiian team was late for the "TeamSUP surfing expression session, so they hit the water on their race boards.... they were ripping it up!!! till they got pulled out of the water... too many SUSers out there to have 14 footers flying around.... but great fun while it lasted!

atownsup

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2014, 08:00:39 PM »
Two more great Blue Planet videos!

Robert, you are effortlessly down to earth and easy going.  I would love to sit down and have a beer or ride some waves together someday!


stoneaxe

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2014, 08:55:13 PM »
I will say, those boards, like my 14, are more DW boards than race boards....at least what I think of as race boards. I doubt I'll ever surf Bill's 18' Speedboard.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2014, 08:57:00 PM by stoneaxe »
Bob

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blueplanetsurf

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2014, 12:58:59 AM »
Thank you for the comments guys!  The sound quality in the part 1 is pretty awful but I really like the way the part 2 on the water video came out, I think it's one of the best videos I have put together so far even though I did the voiceover after midnight last night and sound a bit tired and slow. 

Yes, the boards Jeff and I are using are downwind boards for sure with planing hulls which surf much better than pointy flat water low rockered displacement hulls but even on those the same concepts apply, if you move back far enough on the tail you can surf and turn almost any board.

TallDude, you paddled Jenn Lee's 12'6" x 24" race board?  I have not even attempted to paddle that thing, seems like it would be too tippy for me at 195 lbs but if you can balance on it, I should be able to as well, I think that's what she meant.  I guess I will have to try it now, thanks to you.  She asked me to design a 12'6 x 23" version of the Dark Horse for her, I call it the Ninja Racer and it will be ready soon.  Boards like that just seem like too much work to me but they sure are fast. 
Jeff attempted to paddle standing up on his prone Bark board today, which is less than 20" wide and has a rounded bottom.  He was able to stand up for a bit but did not go very far...
« Last Edit: September 25, 2014, 01:06:27 AM by blueplanetsurf »
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

SaMoSUP

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2014, 06:04:10 AM »
...Waves will start to build far out but can't be caught on a regular board. The looks I get as I paddle through the folks inside is priceless...I can see the shortboarders thinking WTF?... :). Once I get a few from way WAY outside and ride them to the beach though even some of the grumpy old longboarders seem to get it...

So true...I attempted to shoot the Malibu pier on my raceboard the other day...Laird who?? Shoulda seen the looks I got as I took off way out on 2nd point. It was like deer in headlights. Met a pretty lady on a SUP who paddled over and complimented me on my turns. Made a new FB friend out of it. See attachment below.

« Last Edit: September 25, 2014, 06:18:49 AM by SaMoSUP »

XLR8

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2014, 05:12:08 PM »
I enjoyed that second video, thanks.  Looks like fun, fun, fun surfing.  Nicely done.
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stoneaxe

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2014, 06:26:05 PM »
I went out at Newport once 4 years ago, it was just knee to thigh but it was a moon low tide. Mostly longboarders out with a few kids on tiny potato chips jumping on inside for a couple of quick turns. I was the only SUP. I had been surfing my 11-2 blend which in that wave put me just outside the longboarders. I noticed that it was was almost peaking multiple times on bars outside as it came in. Unusual at that size but is was so low it was almost working. Swapped the 11 for my 14 and paddled way the hell out. I had to be 200 yards outside the longboarders or more. Hung around at the spot until I saw a bigger set coming and caught the 1st wave. Long cruising ride, had to walk out and put the pedal down as the wave flattened between bars but pretty easy to stay on it until it would peak again, walk back to the tail, repeat...getting in close it started to break and peel and I just turned down the line and cruised to the sand. Did that a dozen times. I was doing it all well to the side of where the others were but my truck was parked right in front so last wave I cruised right through everyone. one longboarder says as a I cruise by "very cool".....had me smiling for a week every time I thought of it....if he only knew what a kook I was.
Bob

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PonoBill

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2014, 06:39:48 PM »
So true...I attempted to shoot the Malibu pier on my raceboard the other day...Laird who?? Shoulda seen the looks I got as I took off way out on 2nd point. It was like deer in headlights. Met a pretty lady on a SUP who paddled over and complimented me on my turns. Made a new FB friend out of it. See attachment below.

Looks like you missed it by about 350 yards.
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stoneaxe

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2014, 07:33:13 PM »
...Waves will start to build far out but can't be caught on a regular board. The looks I get as I paddle through the folks inside is priceless...I can see the shortboarders thinking WTF?... :). Once I get a few from way WAY outside and ride them to the beach though even some of the grumpy old longboarders seem to get it...

So true...I attempted to shoot the Malibu pier on my raceboard the other day...Laird who?? Shoulda seen the looks I got as I took off way out on 2nd point. It was like deer in headlights. Met a pretty lady on a SUP who paddled over and complimented me on my turns. Made a new FB friend out of it. See attachment below.

 :)
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

SaMoSUP

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #13 on: September 26, 2014, 07:57:56 AM »
Looks like you missed it by about 350 yards.

That's only because I was on a 12'6

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Re: Surfing Raceboards is FUN!
« Reply #14 on: September 27, 2014, 10:15:44 AM »
OK.  Ya got me wanting it.  I surfed LB for decades.  The older I got, the longer the boards got, the further out from the line up I got, the more about the glide than the butt wiggling it got.  I bought a 12' SUP and thought I'ld died and went to heaven.  This takes it to a whole new level.  :)

So I don't have a racer, but I do have a 14' tourer (Riviera Voyager).  I still have the stock fin on it.  I am only 175.  I bought it to load up and go camping.  Think it's fast enough to do this?  And point me towards some better fin choices if you could.  Oh, and leash choices.  Unless I'm way off on the board I have.

 


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