RT’s Openface Sandwich
surf gnome boogie
A little over a year ago RT asked if I could build a compsand board with more flex in it, since his smaller stature (140-45 lbs.) made ordinary wood and foam boards seem a little too ridged for his taste. We came up with the idea of using balsa only on the deck and letting the bottom ‘breathe’. The deck panel retains the liveliness that compsands have and the bottom is allowed to stretch and flex without as much weight and force being applied to it. This board is the third one and I think we finally got it. All the reports I’ve gotten back from him have been good. He said the board flexes and feels pretty much the same as a traditional poly board and he’s already had at least one potentially catastrophic run in with his knee to the deck, with no damage. The bottom should hold up just as well as any other epoxy board, since it has a 1/2″ layer of 2 lb. EPS there. The final weight of the board is in the sub 6 lb. range too, so I think we may have hit all the goals (lightweight, strong, and flexy).
[...] This is a new 6′4″ hull I took up to Sacred Craft in Ventura. It’s made with the R.T. Openface construction for extra flex and spring, same as the Lil Macho board I posted. Sam George took a [...]
Showhull « Nine Lights Surfboards said this on June 16, 2009 at 5:50 am |
[...] recently finished board # 2 for Mitch Coleborn. Ryan Thomas let Mitch try out his 5′6″ RT Openface when he was here in the U.S. a few months back. He surfed it at Newport and liked it so much that [...]
Mitch Stick « Nine Lights Surfboards said this on September 12, 2009 at 1:53 pm |