Fat Boy 12'6" race board

[PonoBill]

So okay, I gotta get a 12'6" race board. Finished second in the Big Winds race last night and got nothing but grief about being on an F18. I tell you, this kind of sucks. I think 14' makes for a more level playing field. We mooses are not likely to float like butterflies on a 12'6". But I haven't tried ANY of them yet. Yeah, Mark has a surf race and Rod has a blade, I can give those a paddle. But before I part with bucks I'd like to hear from my brothers on the right side of the scale--you know, those numbers that are near the end, like 250. Not sexist or anything, I just kind of assume I'm not going to hear from any 250 pound SUP racing women.

I still like my 12'2" but the 10 pounds of pure muscle I added last year in Maui (might be a little beer residue mixed in there too) are turning it into a Jesus board. With the nose skimming the water the rear end is a few inches under water and my feet are damp.

[cnski]

Bill-
I know how you feel. My only race board is a flat water 18'6" x25.5 and was bummed to see the thurs night races in The Hood only count if you are on a 12'6". At 240 lbs., a 14 ft. board would likely help level the playing field against those bird bones! Oh well. Do you know if Big Winds will be demoing any suitable downwind boards this summer? My flat water board is not very stable in windy conditions. I will be there early July for ten days and would love to try out the Viento run with you guys? Thx!

[footemaui]

You know I like the 14'...

[DavidJohn]

Hey Bill.. are we talking flat water boards or down wind boards? .. I reckon 14 is the go.

DJ

[paddlejones]

i'm saving my pennies for a 14' flatwater board.
I would not go that small myself and i am 200lbs, i just don't want to be a 12'/6"er with 14' envy.
try out that starboard free race at 31" wide, war dog sold one and said he would try to chime in with some feed back, maybe give him a shout.

[lee]

The HOBIE 2010 race is 276 ltrs that's more than a 14' glide isn't it??

[PonoBill]

I'd like a 14 fine, but there's a lot of races these days that don't count anything over 12'6". I think it's a mistake, but that's where it seems to be going. I'd like to find one that gives me a fighting chance.

To answer DJ, it's more flatwater than downwind, though I'll be doing Columbia River downwinders on it. I'm comfortable on flatwater boards in the Columbia, my F18 is the flatwater version and I've gotten very used to it in the swells.

I need to figure out where I can try a Hobie. They look pretty right.

Anyone look at the new M&M boards? Super radical, but obviously this board is NOT a 12'6". Bob has one at Gorge Performance. I'll try to get out on it tomorrow.

[river]

Hey Bill,
Good news!
I have the board for ya. You can check it out next week when I get to town.  Its a 29 inch wide and 10.5 inch thick Freerace custom built by Brian Syzmanski for me to race the whitewater races in Colorado.  Its fast and HUGE!  I think its at least 280-300 litres!  Its my only race board right now but I have something else fast coming soon;) I will call ya when I get to town next week. 

[Dialy]

Don't give in Bill! You will not find a 12'6" that will give you a fighting chance. How many paddlers over 200 pounds were in the top 10 of the last battle of the paddle?
The only class that's fair to everyone is the Unlimited Class. As soon as you limit the length of the boards, you give an advantage to a certain weight class. You can train as much as you want, you will not be able to go as fast as  a 160 pounder on a 12'6". It's physics limiting your maximum hull speed.
A good compromise would be to include, in the stock class, 12'6" boards for racers under 200 # and 14' boards for racers over 200#.
Maybe, just like in some other forms of racing, a racer weighing less than 200 lbs and willing to use a 14', could strap on a weight belt (with some floatation of some sort too...).
An OK compromise would be to make the 14' class the stock class, like it probably should have been from the  very beginning... and like it's going to be in the Elite race of the upcoming Lake Tahoe series.
I am over 200 pounds and I would not race a 12'6" anymore. I have tried. I might as well try to be a jockey...

[lee]

Hey Bill,
Good news!
I have the board for ya. You can check it out next week when I get to town.  Its a 29 inch wide and 10.5 inch thick Freerace custom built by Brian Syzmanski for me to race the whitewater races in Colorado.  Its fast and HUGE!  I think its at least 280-300 litres!  Its my only race board right now but I have something else fast coming soon;) I will call ya when I get to town next week. 

That's the ticket!!

[PonoBill]

I paddled the M&M board after the Ross Island race today. Very fast, very tippy, and 14 feet. Matt took second on it. I think it would take at least a week to get used to. Fun race today, I got first in the unlimited class for the series, Rod got first in the 12'6", Rick took !4, and rick's wife (sorry, I forgot your name--hey, I'm old) took 1st womens. Karen Wrenn beat me for the first time. Damn. Guess I gotta step up the training. I chose poorly on the upcurrent leg and both Karen and Rod got by me. Mark, on the M&M board was long gone, and Rick graves was off on the horizon.

[PonoBill]

Don't give in Bill! You will not find a 12'6" that will give you a fighting chance.
I am over 200 pounds and I would not race a 12'6" anymore. I have tried. I might as well try to be a jockey...

Amen. When I see someone like Connor Baxter (the little twirp) flying along on his board I think "strap a backpack with a hundred pounds on the kid and I'd kick his butt".  Of course he'd sink like a stone if he fell in, but that would teach him to be young and skinny. I like the "over 200 gets a 14" rule. I think over 240 get's an F18 should be addendum.

[paddlejones]

Anybody know when the M&M board gets to the retail market?

[paddledaddy]

Bill: I am hoping you will try out and comment on the surf race. As you are a fan of the Starboard 12'2"x26" I am thinking the 26" wide surf race may suit you fine if there is enogh volume and stability for racing. Unfortunately there is not one in my area to try. I can comment on the Jimmy Lewis Slice I borrowed. It was very fast even with my 220 lbs on it. I did quite well in a race with it and then had it for a month while a buddy held captive my K-15. What I learned is that the super thick and wide tail goes extremely fast with the wind and waves and the board is excelent in dead calm, but in strong side chop and head on chop the thickness of the board really gets pushed around making it difficult to make progress. Perhaps lighter folks that don't sink so much of the board get up and over rough conditions on this board,  but I just got pushed around by heavy chop and wished for something that would cut through. Your mileage may vary.

[PonoBill]

I'll try Mark's surf race as soon as I can. He is very fast on it, but he's skinny, we'll see how it does with a porker on board.