Gumby gets a makeover

[Takeo]

Most of you who've been around on the forum have heard PonoBill talk about his former Foote "Maliko 12" nicknamed "Gumby".  That infamous green board which Bill used to take on Maliko Gulch.  A few weeks back, I purchased that board from PonoBill who shipped it from Maui to Hilo.  My plan was to offer it to one of my "larger" My initial plan was to offer the board to one of my "larger" friends who needed a stable board to learn SUP...none of them were interested in Gumby.  Gumby arrived safely but poor 'ole Gumby had the battle scars of a hard life on Maui.  I took Gumby out in Big Island waters, and he was happy.  The waters weren't quite as rough as Maliko and for a brief moment, I felt like I was some kind of SUP savior! Here's a clip of Gumby in some calm waters, paddling Kapoho tidepools.


Here's the Maliko 12.


PonoBill's artwork


I felt the Maliko 12 deserved a new makeover for it's new home and owner (me).  I'm a fisherman and I may actually use this board to do some fishing in the future so I decided to give it a "fishing" theme.  First task was to wet sand the board and patch any dings.  Next, a few coats of spray can acrylic paint. Then, a couple coats of acrylic clear.  Once all that was dry, I added decals and a racing stripe made out of colored tape.  Here she is, not a very conservative look, but she's all mine:

 



The Maliko 12 is a great board that is super stable and very fun to paddle.  It's got pretty decent speed on flatwater, and although I haven't taken it on any official "downwind" runs, it seems to crave the downwind swell.  I'm sure I've yet to see it's potential. 

[JonathanC]

Great job Takeo,

Love to see something like a much cherished board restored and given a new lease of life. Fun recycling.

Also very glad to see she is still known as "Gumby".

"Restored board with aloha"

[Pureadrenalin]

Takeo now its yours and its got a new make over please change the name. It don't look like a Gumby anymore. LOL Great job when you sent me those pics and the link you sent made me wanting to go run and look for a beater on Craigslist and try a makeover myself. Honestly great way to give it a fresh new look. Damn where you paddling the water is shallow?

[footemaui]

Gumby will always be Gumby to those who know and love him... What a great board....

[Kaweeka]

Can you share what brand of paint you used?  Then it's off to City Mill to see if they have it.  I'm now inspired to start working on my 12' handpaddler   Do you sell your decals?  Checked the website but can't find um . . .  Thanks - David

[PonoBill]

Very Cool!! Yeah, I agree with Billy, it's still gumby. I could pick it out of a lineup. glad you are enjoying it.

Diane just popped in and said she likes it better too.

[stoneaxe]

Nice restore of an old board.....I did my 1st downwinder on Gumby....

[Takeo]

Funny, I still call it Gumby.  Like I said, the board is really stable and quite fun and relaxing to paddle.  I'm anxious to get it more downwind time.

As for the paint, I got my tips from this website: http://www.saltwater-dreaming.com/repair-surfboards/paint-surfboard.htm

I used Krylon  for plastic, but I haven't paddled the board yet so don't take my word on durability.  This paint suppose to stick better to "plastic" so I thought it might do well on the wet sanded finish.  I used 320 to wet sand and tried to make sure I covered the board really well to avoid paint chipping off, but I'm sure I missed a few spots.  I had to use 3 cans for just the top and rails, so be prepared to spray a lot..unless you prime first.  The bottom is still green, so Gumby just got a face lift, hehe! After the coats of paint, I sprayed clear..the article says to use Krylon with UV protection clear, I just used Duplicolor acrylic clear because that is what I could find. 

The restore was really fun and I'd do it again if I came across a deal.  As for decals, ebay is a great place to get all sorts of decals..but I'm sure most are black market stuff.  Kaweeka, I got some of the smaller Takeo Gyotaku stickers, if you PM me your address, I'll mail you a pair if you want. 

I'm happy to own Gumby, there is so much history...from Foote to PonoBill, Stoneaxe...wow!  I took it to a beach house and got 6 newbies to get up on Gumby and paddle...the eldest was a 60 year old woman.  I'm planning on shipping Gumby to Oahu tomorrow for a weekend paddle next week.  And I just ordered the GoPro Surfmount for more documentation of Gumby adventures.