I needed a new Board.
My “Wack Board”, shaped by Hubert of crank surfboards still does his job, but due to its rocker it needs waves with a bit of punch or size. And when it’s a bit windier, due to it’s size it’s really hard to carry over sharp rocks or wiggly and slippery pebbles. So I wanted my new board to be a bit smaller, lighter, a bit less rocker but also with enough volume to compensate for the arms and the tummy. And I wanted it to be red.
I found a suitable plan online, altered the rocker and the shape a bit, printed out the ribs and spine on A4 sheets and glued them back together. Of course I could have ordered a large print, but this method worked fine before and I didn’t want to wait any longer before I could start. I still had enough paulownia planks and thin cedar strips for the rails, just needed some plywood for the ribs and stringer.
We planned on going to Portugal in December, as our last twosome trip, so I needed to get the board finished quickly. Mostly it worked out well, but it became clear that I would need a rockertable for future boards. Glassing was still difficult for me, but with more and more practice I’m quite confident that the next board will come out better. The red pigment in the resin left just enough woodstructure visible to become a subtle mix of wood and plastic. To brand it with “Yolk Surfboards” label, my fictional surfcompany, I cut out a woodprint and printed on fibreglass cloth.
I tested it in Portugal, and I was happy right away. It is the lightes board in my quiver so far, paddels well and the moment I took off it becomes pretty fast and stays maneuverable. It works in weaker waves then my big board and also not unimportant: I’ve built it myself;)
