Author Topic: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race  (Read 259418 times)

burchas

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #90 on: February 20, 2018, 08:00:41 AM »
I think that once you have come to really like a shape for your own use, after board hoping for a while, then it makes total sense to go for a custom based on a variation of the shape you like.

I had you in mind as well when making this point. There is always a tiny leap of faith going that route but the end result is a pure joy.
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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #91 on: February 20, 2018, 10:21:55 AM »
We might all agree on that, but in practice most paddlers I know still buy into this BS.
Take ukgm and photofr, both very educated and very specific about their needs yet they still feed the biggest offending beast in this realm.
With their knowledge and experience, they could have easily ride their own customs long time ago.
With that in mind, I don't see much hope for the average paddler. They'll just keep changing board every year in their search for a unicorn.

In fairness, some of us would love to have a custom but do not have proximity to a shaper....I would have loved to buy the equivalent of a 16' Bark Vapor with a nice layering. instead I had to console myself with buying a second hand Carbon Ghost one and sell my ProElite one. I think that once you have come to really like a shape for your own use, after board hoping for a while, then it makes total sense to go for a custom based on a variation of the shape you like.
Yeah, when I buy a production 14ft board these days it is with the intention in mind of getting a custom unlimited version of it made in due course. The 14ft is just a prototype, in effect. And then I’ll sell the 14ft and hold onto the better-made, tailor-made, stronger, faster, nicer to paddle unlimited for years, long after the cheap construction of the production board has fallen apart. It’s a shame that I can’t race an UL in this country (with the exception of one downwind race I think). But that’s just the price you pay to have a board that maximises your paddling enjoyment, I guess.

burchas

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #92 on: February 20, 2018, 10:33:36 AM »
Yeah, when I buy a production 14ft board these days it is with the intention in mind of getting a custom unlimited version of it made in due course. The 14ft is just a prototype, in effect. And then I’ll sell the 14ft and hold onto the better-made, tailor-made, stronger, faster, nicer to paddle unlimited for years, long after the cheap construction of the production board has fallen apart.

I'm right there with you. The only difference, I don't buy that 14 board. Instead I went on vacation where I can heavily test all the "best in category" boards in different widths and various conditions,
take  mental notes as well as physical notes and put it into my  custom UL.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2018, 10:44:37 AM by burchas »
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burchas

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #93 on: February 20, 2018, 10:47:18 AM »
It’s a shame that I can’t race an UL in this country (with the exception of one downwind race I think). But that’s just the price you pay to have a board that maximises your paddling enjoyment, I guess.

As for the racing, I just enter race as a 14, but bring my UL. I'm in it for the fun anyway, I believe you're too. If you happen to win, well, deal with that when it happens. ;)
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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #94 on: February 20, 2018, 12:30:10 PM »
Yeah, I was thinking of doing that. I’m not likely to be anywhere near the podium anyway, unless maybe there happens to be an age division suitable for me. What I didn’t want to do was go to the trouble of turning up and then being told I couldn’t paddle because I had an illegal board.

Ukgm could get an UL board and then hire me and my buddies with ULs to make up a category, and then he’d get line honours every time :)

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #95 on: February 20, 2018, 12:47:45 PM »
Yeah, I was thinking of doing that. I’m not likely to be anywhere near the podium anyway, unless maybe there happens to be an age division suitable for me. What I didn’t want to do was go to the trouble of turning up and then being told I couldn’t paddle because I had an illegal board.

Ukgm could get an UL board and then hire me and my buddies with ULs to make up a category, and then he’d get line honours every time :)

I do that for the two/three races I participate every year. All I have done before registering is to send an email to the organizer (we are a small community here) and asked them to confirm UL welcome. They would usually send me back an email saying that I was welcome on my Ace-GT but in case of been first, I might not receive the prize. I reassure them that having been first only once in the past few years, there was no risk at all and that I would gladly surrender any price or right to brag very willingly. The big news is that our brand new downwind race coming this summer....as an UL class......Having a sponsor that sell UL boards might have helped :-)
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ukgm

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #96 on: February 20, 2018, 01:33:14 PM »
I think that we’ve all agreed from the start of SUP that the “new model every year” SOP from the likes of Starboard has been unhelpful for customer and retailer alike.

Take ukgm and photofr, both very educated and very specific about their needs yet they still feed the biggest offending beast in this realm.
With their knowledge and experience, they could have easily ride their own customs long time ago.


A fair point. A lot of my reasons came mainly down to resale value (I can resell a Starboard in a week or two and take less hit than any other brand - a custom is all but worthless and impossible to sell on over here). I was offered two team rides this year but both were on boards that would have hurt my results. I instead bought one secondhand that delivered time trial PB's quickly fora 2017 board that I bought for 33% of its RRP. Yes, it was a compromise but a good board and was a wallet friendly option.

I'll likely move onto another board next year and I'm undecided on what that would be yet. The Nelo may well be it but I'm just as likely to hold out for a secondhand Sprint 2018. Being educated is one thing but we've all got wallets to defend too !

It's a fair point as well. The point I'm making is using your knowledge to come up with a timeless design that works for you and lasts for years. It's doable, take a look at the SIC Bullet.
Once you've reached a certain level and identified the most fulfilling aspects of the sport and then tested pretty much every concept out there, I'm pretty sure you can make it work.

I didn't dive into the economics of the board resell arena but i'm pretty sure you're loosing money every year and still end up with a compromised product. You still have to come up with
a hefty sum every year, 33% or not. And if your board got damaged, a possibility likely to happen on those egg-shell boards you'll likely kiss your resell value goodbye.

Yep, all true again. You’re not wrong. I’m more uncertain on going to a custom shaper. One, I don’t know that many I’d trust and at my stage of development, I’m not actually sure what to ask for.

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #97 on: February 20, 2018, 01:35:15 PM »
Yeah, I was thinking of doing that. I’m not likely to be anywhere near the podium anyway, unless maybe there happens to be an age division suitable for me. What I didn’t want to do was go to the trouble of turning up and then being told I couldn’t paddle because I had an illegal board.

Ukgm could get an UL board and then hire me and my buddies with ULs to make up a category, and then he’d get line honours every time :)

The head of the dart race is the only race left in the UK that accepts UL’s now. I keep getting tempted to race one but it’s such a big event now, I don’t want to lose it to an experiment I can’t capitalise on anyway. A damn shame as that’s one project I’d love to play around with.

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #98 on: February 20, 2018, 01:51:03 PM »
Yeah, I was thinking of doing that. I’m not likely to be anywhere near the podium anyway, unless maybe there happens to be an age division suitable for me. What I didn’t want to do was go to the trouble of turning up and then being told I couldn’t paddle because I had an illegal board.

Ukgm could get an UL board and then hire me and my buddies with ULs to make up a category, and then he’d get line honours every time :)

The head of the dart race is the only race left in the UK that accepts UL’s now. I keep getting tempted to race one but it’s such a big event now, I don’t want to lose it to an experiment I can’t capitalise on anyway. A damn shame as that’s one project I’d love to play around with.
When I get my next UL (which will be an all-waters race board, hopefully), you’ll have to come and give it a go. Then you’d have something to base your own order on. A guy with your power and stamina on an UL would absolutely crush everyone, including other people on an UL.

burchas

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #99 on: February 20, 2018, 01:56:31 PM »
I don’t know that many I’d trust and at my stage of development, I’m not actually sure what to ask for

Now that's a great topic for a thread here. Leave it with Area 10 and supuk to sort things out ;D
Also, it would be a great read.
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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #100 on: February 20, 2018, 02:02:19 PM »
I don’t know that many I’d trust and at my stage of development, I’m not actually sure what to ask for

Now that's a great topic for a thread here. Leave it with Area 10 and supuk to sort things out ;D
Also, it would be a great read.

Yeah we could sort him out for sure. And document the design and building of ukgm’s “giant killer” board :)

Luc Benac

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #101 on: February 20, 2018, 02:28:06 PM »
Yeah we could sort him out for sure. And document the design and building of ukgm’s “giant killer” board :)

Based on the size of ukgm, I would use another expression than "sort him out" :-)
Sunova Allwater 14'x25.5" 303L Viento 520
Sunova Torpedo 14'x27" 286L Salish 500
Naish Nalu 11'4" x 30" 180L Andaman 520
Sunova Steeze 10' x 31" 150L
Blackfish Paddles

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #102 on: February 20, 2018, 02:43:51 PM »
Yeah we could sort him out for sure. And document the design and building of ukgm’s “giant killer” board :)

Based on the size of ukgm, I would use another expression than "sort him out" :-)
:) :) Yes, I meant “sort him out with a board design” not the other meaning of the phrase! Ukgm could probably pop my skull like a pimple between his thumb and forefinger alone.


ukgm

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #103 on: February 21, 2018, 05:09:30 AM »
Yeah we could sort him out for sure. And document the design and building of ukgm’s “giant killer” board :)

Based on the size of ukgm, I would use another expression than "sort him out" :-)
:) :) Yes, I meant “sort him out with a board design” not the other meaning of the phrase! Ukgm could probably pop my skull like a pimple between his thumb and forefinger alone.

I've got a video about to come out in a week or two for one of the main british SUP websites. I'll let you decide if I'm more Bridget Jones than Vinnie Jones when that one comes out....  ;D

ukgm

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #104 on: February 21, 2018, 05:10:44 AM »
I don’t know that many I’d trust and at my stage of development, I’m not actually sure what to ask for

Now that's a great topic for a thread here. Leave it with Area 10 and supuk to sort things out ;D
Also, it would be a great read.

It's certainly a tempting concept.

 


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