30 ago 2010
REACTOR23 = ALAIA+SIMMONS
Two days testing. Well done, havin big fuN! Full concave hull deeper on tail gives reactivity, Little or less rocker gives a lot of speed. Far from being a real alaia, it needs only a little shoulder to side slide and easily turn.
A special feeling also in mediocre waves. It's pretty thinner than a mini simmons or a fish but with full boxy squared rails its buoyancy is great.
THE IDEA:
Shorter board for knee to shoulder high waves. Easy take off as possible. Finless board but with the possibility of more drive down the line. Using it in not so perfect wave condition, crappy/windy waves.
An alaia is really hard to drive, above all in unsteep, messy wave conditions. A minisimmons should be a solution, but it's also a surfboard for a point break.
THE CONCEPT:
Shortness give the board adaptability to a lot more of messy/crappy/perfect wave condition. The full 50/50 square boxed rails that go slight rounded around the nose united with lowest rocker (just a spit more than alaia on tail kick) improve speeding and direction when your weight is well balanced in the middle of the board. As you turn your shoulder the little keels come out of the water, due to accented tail-kick, and you start spinning on the direction you turned your shoulder.
It's pretty funny as you can take off almost diagonal to wave direction, easily starting a sliding spin as you get down the line! It's too easy to bottom turn and come off the wave again litterally jumping off the surf like a skateboard.
An alaia is really hard to drive, above all in unsteep, messy wave conditions. A minisimmons should be a solution, but it's also a surfboard for a point break.
THE CONCEPT:
Shortness give the board adaptability to a lot more of messy/crappy/perfect wave condition. The full 50/50 square boxed rails that go slight rounded around the nose united with lowest rocker (just a spit more than alaia on tail kick) improve speeding and direction when your weight is well balanced in the middle of the board. As you turn your shoulder the little keels come out of the water, due to accented tail-kick, and you start spinning on the direction you turned your shoulder.
It's pretty funny as you can take off almost diagonal to wave direction, easily starting a sliding spin as you get down the line! It's too easy to bottom turn and come off the wave again litterally jumping off the surf like a skateboard.
Everybody trying it will be so enthusiast. I put in the closet a couple of things to improve the board on next step, but I'm pretty happy about how it's working now too.
I need to thanks those whose work inspired me, Bob Simmons working on hulls, Sage Joske from Valla for the very first ispiration to te concept.
