Author Topic: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race  (Read 259520 times)

Area 10

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #195 on: February 26, 2018, 05:00:49 AM »

Expect a Nelo all-waters SUP that looks like a Starboard Ace imminently :)


You mean a hollow board that is for allwater conditions ? That is an exceptionally good guess. ;-)
Yep, that’s exactly what I meant. Hope it happens. When the Ace first came out everyone commented that it was a “stand up Canoe”, so this is a logical next step.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2018, 05:02:47 AM by Area 10 »

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #196 on: February 26, 2018, 05:17:43 AM »
MY PLAN with my new Nelo board:
- Health: training, and staying in good healthy shape.
- Paddling more long distance: about 300 km per month.
- Flat water 80% (canal mostly)
- Calmer Open Ocean perhaps 20%

I really don't see myself racing for anything other than 30+ km races, therefore do not really see myself competing on many races.
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

Area 10

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #197 on: February 26, 2018, 05:25:22 AM »
MY PLAN with my new Nelo board:
- Health: training, and staying in good healthy shape.
- Paddling more long distance: about 300 km per month.
- Flat water 80% (canal mostly)
- Calmer Open Ocean perhaps 20%

I really don't see myself racing for anything other than 30+ km races, therefore do not really see myself competing on many races.
Living life on the edge, eh? ;) :)

Having said that, I found myself battling a F7 icy headwind yesterday, paddling alone on a canal, doing HIT-type training... kinda wondering what the hell I was doing it for though... no intention to race.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2018, 05:33:04 AM by Area 10 »

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #198 on: February 26, 2018, 05:30:20 AM »
MY PLAN with my new Nelo board:
- Health: training, and staying in good healthy shape.
- Paddling more long distance: about 300 km per month.
- Flat water 80% (canal mostly)
- Calmer Open Ocean perhaps 20%

I really don't see myself racing for anything other than 30+ km races, therefore do not really see myself competing on many races.
Living life on the edge, eh? ;) :)


Paddling, skiing, and biking mean a lot to me - and my health. So why the heck STOP ? :)
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

ukgm

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #199 on: February 26, 2018, 05:40:48 AM »

Expect a Nelo all-waters SUP that looks like a Starboard Ace imminently :)


You mean a hollow board that is for allwater conditions ? That is an exceptionally good guess. ;-)
Yep, that’s exactly what I meant. Hope it happens. When the Ace first came out everyone commented that it was a “stand up Canoe”, so this is a logical next step.

Your guess is accurate from what I have heard.

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #200 on: February 26, 2018, 05:43:07 AM »
You guys really think that Nelo will go the Ace (or similar) route?
I just don't see it.

From my short experience working for Nelo (two years) - you'll probably notice that they most often think outside the box. They go and try things that work, they are innovative, and aren't afraid to take chances.

Take surfskis -
The 80's brought us skis that were in the 590 cm long.
The 90's brought us some weird skis that were sometimes 650 cm long.
3 years ago, most skis found on the market were in the 640cm length - but that didn't stop Nelo.
3 years ago, Nelo came out with a ski that was 560, another that was 550, and another that was 520. Each do VERY WELL in their intended use.

Reasoning
People are likely to copy Nelo with their SUP design, when they actually design a new model - just look around and see how many people have (all of the sudden) come up with surfskis that are in the 560cm range.

Why not an Ace-type board?
The answer is simple: SURFSKI paddling started with a hull that was Ace-like. That was back some 50+ years ago. Things have evolved, and the only - ONLY restraint right now are rules that prevent you from having a rudder.

Heck, flat water kayak racing (Olympic kayaking) used to have a fin, not a rudder - but even them have changed that, although they only go in a STRAIGHT LINE.

What will Nelo do next?
Unsure, but most likely start by showing off how a SUP board can be way lighter and way stronger - for starters. Soon thereafter, Nelo may continue their paths with SUP boards that no longer look like surfboards - that, to me, would be a given, unless you want to surf. The rest is speculation, but I have my EYES WIDE OPEN and ready to take it all in.

:)  8) :o ;D
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

ukgm

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #201 on: February 26, 2018, 05:59:41 AM »
You guys really think that Nelo will go the Ace (or similar) route?
I just don't see it.

From my short experience working for Nelo (two years) - you'll probably notice that they most often think outside the box. They go and try things that work, they are innovative, and aren't afraid to take chances.

Why not an Ace-type board?
The answer is simple: SURFSKI paddling started with a hull that was Ace-like. That was back some 50+ years ago. Things have evolved, and the only - ONLY restraint right now are rules that prevent you from having a rudder.


What will Nelo do next?


That's not quite what I said. However, look at it it this way, I'm going to hold off buying a new board for a few more months and I don't like using Ace style boards.

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #202 on: February 26, 2018, 06:25:55 AM »
Most of the design development in SUP has come in relation to ocean-type boards rather than flat water ones, since for the last 10 years most big races have been held in choppy waters, most of the SUP brands are ocean-based, and pretty much all the world’s elite SUPers are ocean people.

The recent iterations of all waters race boards are actually getting quite good. I’ve been hugely impressed by my new SIC RS, and even a big powerful paddler like  ukgm would be stable and comfortable paddling the 14x24.5” version, which would have been totally inconceivable a few years ago.

And if you are an elite paddler wanting a DW board for typical European/Oz DW conditions, then the Ace is a hugely effective speed machine. I’m selling an old battered one at the moment (14x25 carbon) and have had many enquiries. So it’s still a very popular design.

So, if Nelo want to throw away all that has been learnt so far, then good luck to them. I would have thought that creating a good flat water board would be more a priority. That’s where there is less competition.

On the ICF event, I’m a bit sad that they’ve decided to go head to head with the ISA like that, and steal their formats. I’ve actually been quite convinced by the arguments I’ve read recently for letting a inland/flat water specialist discipline emerge, that feels no shared history or allegiance with ocean boardsports, and was looking forward to watching how that developed.

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #203 on: February 26, 2018, 06:45:08 AM »

But we’ve done this one to death a thousand times, and talking about DW/ocean fins is drifting away from the topic of this thread quite a bit.

So, returning (slightly) to the topic, the K15 was the first rounded hull concept flat water SUP to be sold widely...

I think we've  covered this one to death just as much ;) Point is, at this stage where board is a done deal, the only thing you can change is the
fin (you can change the deck pad too but I doubt it make much of a difference  :D )
in progress...

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #204 on: February 26, 2018, 06:56:42 AM »
There's plenty of room to grow - anytime we talk about SUP.

I am not Nelo, and I do not represent Nelo in any shape or form. Heck, I don't even know what they are developing next. I can tell you this though: there's room to grow.

For instance, the Ace-Design does very well. Heck, so well that nearly everyone has copied it to a certain degree. However, just ask yourself this: is the Ace-Design the only imaginable design on planet earth? Heck NO.

Clearly, there are more ways than one on improving anything.

What is even clearer to me - and perhaps not so apparent enough to others - is that Ace-Designs have been used in the surfski world. Let me just repeat this: Ace-Design WERE USED for surfskis. Today, and for pretty much the last 40+ years, Ace-Designs have long been replaced with much faster designs. You want to go faster in Open Ocean, go with a surfski design. You'll glide better, you'll go faster, and you'll have more fun doing it.

Saying that Ace-Design is the fastest SUP design imaginable is locking imagination into a little box.



Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

ukgm

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #205 on: February 26, 2018, 07:23:07 AM »

On the ICF event, I’m a bit sad that they’ve decided to go head to head with the ISA like that, and steal their formats. I’ve actually been quite convinced by the arguments I’ve read recently for letting a inland/flat water specialist discipline emerge, that feels no shared history or allegiance with ocean boardsports, and was looking forward to watching how that developed.

To be fair to them, they would have got stick if they'd gone for a rowing-esque sanitised lane knockout format so they couldn't win either way (but yes, I'm disappointed personally). Not only that, the ISA don't do official sprints or a downwind events at their worlds ? The irony being here, the proposed ICF event is more all encompassing of the ocean environment than the ISA event. Who'd have seen that one coming ?
« Last Edit: February 26, 2018, 07:26:23 AM by ukgm »

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #206 on: February 26, 2018, 08:13:52 AM »
the ISA don't do official sprints or a downwind events at their worlds ?

They'd have had downwinders if the weather had co-operated. The ICF will have to have a backup plan in Portugal too. Sprints, yes:
https://www.supthemag.com/photos/2017-isa-world-sup-paddleboard-championship-gallery-recap-results/

And who can forget this performance? Probably the most remarkable athletic feat I have ever seen in a SUP race (by Kai Lenny).

http://www.supracer.com/video-kai-lenny-stand-up-paddleboarding-race/

Unfortunately it looks like you can't post a direct link to a FB page here. But if you put

https://www.facebook.com

together with: /supracerr/videos/1174595722624477/

there's a video of Kai's incredible (flat water) 800m performance.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2018, 08:39:20 AM by Area 10 »

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #207 on: February 26, 2018, 08:21:17 AM »
The irony being here, the proposed ICF event is more all encompassing of the ocean environment than the ISA event. Who'd have seen that one coming ?
Err... NO.
https://youtu.be/TLbaipKhE4U

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #208 on: February 26, 2018, 08:24:14 AM »
Saying that Ace-Design is the fastest SUP design imaginable is locking imagination into a little box.
Who ON EARTH is saying that? You are just putting words into our mouths now. No-one here is saying that or has said anything like it. Please let's not stray into the territory of having arguments for arguments' sake.

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Re: NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race
« Reply #209 on: February 26, 2018, 09:47:21 AM »
Saying that Ace-Design is the fastest SUP design imaginable is locking imagination into a little box.
Who ON EARTH is saying that? You are just putting words into our mouths now. No-one here is saying that or has said anything like it. Please let's not stray into the territory of having arguments for arguments' sake.


OKAY, maybe you guys didn't say that exactly, but the following was in fact mentioned:
"Expect a Nelo all-waters SUP that looks like a Starboard Ace imminently"

To that extent, and without trying to argue, I am simply stating that:
There is ample room for improvements on a SUP for flat water AND for Open Ocean, without the current Ace characteristics.
Nelo SUP - 14' x 23"
Nelo Surfski 560M - 18'4" x 17"

 


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