I just found this on Ebay, unfortunately I’m not allowed to purchase any more surfboards for at least a month. Doing a Re-Finance, need the cash, blah blah blah…
Anyway, here’s your chance to pick up a Jeff Alexander original. Sorry Aussies, it doesn’t look like they ship overseas.
looks like you can get it for a bit less on craigs list, I would hve been tempted if I my self did not have one, and too mant other boards as well at the moment. I am not asociated with the seller, but I will say mine works just about as well as all the hype Mr. alexander puts up on his wwb page. I will not be unloading mine any time soon.
mine is a 6’3" and after getting used to it, I think it is a little too big for me in every day surf. I am 6’3" and 210 lbs. in chest high and under it rides like my fishes, at head high plus a little it starts to come into its own, meaning fast, clean , long lines, not skipping across the surface like some of my thrusters, but drives like a fish, turns like a thruster. The biggest I have had it out in was around head and a half (10 -12 ft faces), and from that one day I will never sell this board, it was like a skateboard on rails, but the rails went wherever I dreamed, full control, though unlimmited speed, it was freaky. Roundhouse cutbacks looping way out the shouler over the back and then back to the curl without looosing a drop of the speed, felt like i was at the skate park or being pulled by a boat or somthing.
On the down side, you are on display every time you take it out. People are first amazed, all have questions, some make jokes about how dangerous it looks. and then all eys are on when you paddle like they expect you to fly or shoot flames or somthing. It goes great, but is not some magic spaceship, just a surfboard
The thing was when I got mine, custom ording one was a challange to say the least, Jeff Alexander had been going through some heavy stuff, and it took a while, to put it nicely. If I was not now in the middle of remodeling my home I would grab this one and throw it in the rafters till I needed it. But funds are goin to things like washers and dryer, and the dream of an indoor kitchen.
That’s why I gave up, PM answers only at this point …
In my opinion you want to know… then get one and find out yourself…
The only thing that would prevent me from buying another is whether I’d just instead make my own epoxy/balsa sandwich one like I did for my brother as mine has already deck pressures…
I make Geminis for Jeff Alexander on the Big Island and in Cali when I’m there.Fastest board on the planet !My customers ask me what the best board for airs are well the Gemini of course.Max speed and landing area.Most people are intimidated by this board.Only surfers that have a keen sense of board design are drawn to this board and you don’t know the feeling until you ride one.The only board one has to go shorter narrower and thinner to achieve one’s standard board volume.I just made these on my last trip to Cali .I’m working on a sick round tail version alled the Gemini Aries series.
LaLanne, does iShapes have these on file such that they could have one cut any time or do us Californians need to wait until you’re back in town to order one?
I may be blaspheming or something, but I think as long as you kept the bottom and rail outline the same up to the bottom of the points, you could chop 'em off and finish it off in a bat tail style, get the same result – lessening the degree of potential dangers and actual downsides of those noses
I have a gemini and have ridden my brother’s boards. They well, but my friends always make fun of the nose when I ride mine. Easily one of the fastest boards you’ll ever ride. I really like the fin setup too. I’ve used the Gemini’s quad spacing on other boards, and it works well.
I always wanted to see the board without the forked nose, but I have yet to see anyone do it. I think the argument was that if helps to lessen the amount of resistance the board would have if the nose were extended out to where it would normally be, because the outline for the front half of the board is stretched out. Plus there would have to be quite a bit of arch to continue the concave. I think it may work if the nose was just cut back to be more blunt. I just don’t want to hack the nose off of mine to find out.
The bottoms are so complex that they are not easy to shape. I think the concave is about an inch deep and the rocker curve in the middle is different from the sides. I think this board is the closest anyone has taken a surfboard towards the racing hydrofoil speedboat design to the mass market. The closest comparison to this would be a Bonzer on steroids.
There are guys in Hawaii riding them and they swear they are their best boards.
You have to check this out. Slater has shaped a knock off of the Gemini.
Jeff Alexander also makes the Gemini Mutant Series which is almost a double ender. It has a bat tail and a bat nose. Everything is the same except he’s closed in the two points with the bat template. I had him do this on a couple longboard types-8’0’’ and 8’6’‘- as I couldn’t see the advantage of nose riding with a split nose. They work great and are amazingly versatile. I’ve dropped into double overhead waves on the outside and they carved well on into the inside where I rode it down to 2’ and hung five forever. Seriously, I’ve used these eggier type templates in some big surf where a standard egg just wouldn’t cut it.
I’ve also ridden the mutant nose on shorter boards. They work great, the biggest difference being swing weight is lighter with twin tips, wind resistance is less and in hollow surf the twin tips just seem to be easier to hold a high, tight line for longer. Less water and wind influence I guess.
People do seem to be more accepting of the Mutant bat nose actually. They think it’s some cool, flying disc double ender rather than an alien space ship. One friend who was a local surf shop owner has had a 6’0’’ Mutant version for 10 years now, still claims it’s the best shortboard he’s ever owned. He could spin it around and he said it had great control going backwards. One winter he used the same board for towing in on some serious Norcal waves and said it went insane!
Jeff never told me about the bat nose would love to see one.I’m trying rite now as I type how I would make one.Surfers are such pussys sometimes .The comments I get on my board… I slapped the loudest vert lip in front of 2 skeptics yesterday".Oh thats right this board doesn’t work" I told them they both sratched their heads like cave men seeing fire for the first time.