This came to me sometime during my rant about composites. I have stated in the past that ‘flex’ without control is dangerous, actually I said undesirable, which is my subjective opinion. But how about flex with control? How could this be done? Well here’s my whack idea. Step 1. Get a hold of one of those soft surfboards, like a Doyle. Step 2. Cut out the desired shape. In the illustration I’ve used a snowboard shape. Obviously, my proportions are all wrong, so you’ll have to make adjustments. (Reposition fins etc…) Step 3. Make the kind of track which I’ve indicated in the illustration. Maybe out of some old Reef sandal top, those screws which they use to attach things to soft surfboards, some sort of plastic track, and a shit load of glue, screws, nails whatever. (Its just a proto-type.) … and whaaa la!.. Sure, you’d have to train yourself to slip into the foot things, but I bet you could do it. And paddling around might not be a lot of fun, but it isn’t now. The track would allow you to adjust the flex by repositioning your feet (the straps holding you onto the board.) You’d unlock you feet by rotating them slightly, then rotating them back into the lock position, etc… Could you find materials to take such stresses? I don’t know… Would it work? I don’t know… its just an idea… kind’a neat really. Kevin 
I’d like to modify the template of the soft surfboard… (like it actually existed?..) Drop the center fin and add some wings, but the curve after the wings should reflect the curvature prior to the cut, so its kind of a reversed curve (when you think of the standard wing treatment.) Actually, you could do this (the wing reversed cut) on one of those Y Swizzle boards… could be interesting. (Give it a shot Tom?) Kevin 
Actually, since cheapo boogie boards seem to be much more flexible (at least some are), I’d glue two really big ones together using a simple glued scarf joint. (Maybe re-sole the bottom with some sort of plastic if necessary.) Doyles, as soft as they are may not be soft enough. Though I guess you could shave off some thickness to get the required flex… Kevin
Actually, since cheapo boogie boards seem to be much more flexible (at > least some are), I’d glue two really big ones together using a simple > glued scarf joint. (Maybe re-sole the bottom with some sort of plastic if > necessary.) Doyles, as soft as they are may not be soft enough. Though I > guess you could shave off some thickness to get the required flex…>>> Kevin If you could get thin enough foam over the fiberglass “stringer”, which in the early days was a long, thin fiberglass “sheet” (as opposed to contempo bodyboard graphite rods in many cases), and you laid down a “track” for the straps, you could conceivably attach track to sheet stringer in a manner which would allow you to adjust flex at will…although how you would comfortably paddle something like that is beyond me. Some softie manufacturers offer customs…might be worth investigating. I think you’d have a hard time getting the raw materials at a fair price for a limited quantity any other way.
Actually, since cheapo boogie boards seem to be much more flexible (at > least some are), I’d glue two really big ones together using a simple > glued scarf joint. (Maybe re-sole the bottom with some sort of plastic if > necessary.) Doyles, as soft as they are may not be soft enough. Though I > guess you could shave off some thickness to get the required flex…>>> Kevin Take a close look at the shape of the board in these pics: http://www.nesurf.com/Pics/NH_Pics/0111SNKickout/0111snkickout.html http://www.nesurf.com/Pics/NH_Pics/0111SNAir/0111snair.html Seen him surf. The thing is SOOOO FAST, but he has to pump constantly. No foot straps either. I don’t know how he rides it.
Take a close look at the shape of the board in these pics:>>> http://www.nesurf.com/Pics/NH_Pics/0111SNKickout/0111snkickout.html > http://www.nesurf.com/Pics/NH_Pics/0111SNAir/0111snair.html>>> Seen him surf. The thing is SOOOO FAST, but he has to pump constantly. No > foot straps either. I don’t know how he rides it. What’s up with this? Who is this? Where is this? A friend on mine actually made one, he surfs it Rhode Island, but that’s not his board. I’d be curious if its another New England local. His is a 5’8". He took his template from a Burton Board he liked. Nothing on the bottom but flat, with the natural rocker of the blank. (The name of which, I’ve forgotten. He had to go bigger in order to get the tail width he wanted,… I think.) He says it stupid fast and just whips, but it doesn’t seem to be about flex. He rides the thing really far back, not at all like you would a snowboard. As a matter of fact, all that forward surface area can occasionally get you into trouble, especially on deeper turns, it really doesn’t seem to be operating as a flexible board, and definitely not similar to a snowboard. I was with him when he made it, it wasn’t that much more flexible than his other 5’8"s, if at all; definitely nothing pronounced. The speed and maneuverability seems to come from the template and lightness of the board. Sort of a fish without the head, nose in this case. He eventually trimmed the tail, making into a sort of swallow tail. If you think about it, well at least in my opinion, its kind of a skimboard with a neck and head, the neck and head really only useful for paddling around, i.e. buoyancy. He doesn’t seem to take it out on really big days (well overhead.) A little to wild it seems, too fishy. He said at first it was a pain to paddle around, but after a while it wasn’t a big deal. He get lots of requests to make them. I think he plans to start production soon. Still,… it is a fast (fishy) animal. Kevin
If you could get thin enough foam over the fiberglass > “stringer”, which in the early days was a long, thin fiberglass > “sheet” (as opposed to contempo bodyboard graphite rods in many > cases), and you laid down a “track” for the straps, you could > conceivably attach track to sheet stringer in a manner which would allow > you to adjust flex at will…although how you would comfortably paddle > something like that is beyond me.>>> Some softie manufacturers offer customs…might be worth investigating. I > think you’d have a hard time getting the raw materials at a fair price for > a limited quantity any other way. That’s why I’m thinking cheapo boogie boards and old Reef sandals… the channel would be a challenge though. In order to get the strength right, instead of discs which lock, consider using spheres (appropriately chopped off, so you get the same effect when rotated), the spheres sitting in a deeper channel, something approaching the depth of the board itself. The whole idea is to somehow make the ‘flex’ controllable, at least to some degree. After thinking some more about it, I’m no longer sure how it would actually work, it might turn out to be a little unnatural at first, but I bet once up and going, some opportunity would rear its head. One might even consider fixing the rear foot, allowing only the forward foot to move. Kevin
Here’s one that’s likely that seems to be in a little better in terms of proportion. Also, I’ve fixed the rear footing and have included some stiff panels (the front one presumably sliding with the forward foot.) The reason being, to offer some control over the latitudinal torsion. Hopefully, the diagram makes it clear what I’m refering to - you could adjust the angle of attack of each section under your foot. Kevin 
Here’s one that’s likely that seems to be in a little better in terms of > proportion.>>> Also, I’ve fixed the rear footing and have included some stiff panels (the > front one presumably sliding with the forward foot.) The reason being, to > offer some control over the latitudinal torsion. Hopefully, the diagram > makes it clear what I’m refering to - you could adjust the angle of attack > of each section under your foot.>>> Kevin Sorry about my confused English here, … Its close to quiting time for me, I’m rushing… Kevin
The kid is a New Hampshire local. A few of the locals up there ride them. I think a local shaper used to make them. The thing does fly. Don’t know much else. Doubt it has much flex. Couldn’t really believe it when I saw it. The thing is tiny and so weird looking. Actually saw a longboard shaped like that as well, never saw it surfed.>>> What’s up with this? Who is this? Where is this?>>> A friend on mine actually made one, he surfs it Rhode Island, but that’s > not his board. I’d be curious if its another New England local.>>> His is a 5’8". He took his template from a Burton Board he liked. > Nothing on the bottom but flat, with the natural rocker of the blank. (The > name of which, I’ve forgotten. He had to go bigger in order to get the > tail width he wanted,… I think.) > He says it stupid fast and just whips, but it doesn’t seem to be about > flex.>>> He rides the thing really far back, not at all like you would a snowboard. > As a matter of fact, all that forward surface area can occasionally get > you into trouble, especially on deeper turns, it really doesn’t seem to be > operating as a flexible board, and definitely not similar to a snowboard.>>> I was with him when he made it, it wasn’t that much more flexible than his > other 5’8"s, if at all; definitely nothing pronounced. The speed and > maneuverability seems to come from the template and lightness of the > board. Sort of a fish without the head, nose in this case. He eventually > trimmed the tail, making into a sort of swallow tail. If you think about > it, well at least in my opinion, its kind of a skimboard with a neck and > head, the neck and head really only useful for paddling around, i.e. > buoyancy.>>> He doesn’t seem to take it out on really big days (well overhead.) A > little to wild it seems, too fishy.>>> He said at first it was a pain to paddle around, but after a while it > wasn’t a big deal. He get lots of requests to make them. I think he plans > to start production soon.>>> Still,… it is a fast (fishy) animal.>>> Kevin
The kid is a New Hampshire local. A few of the locals up there ride them. > I think a local shaper used to make them. The thing does fly. Don’t know > much else. Doubt it has much flex. Couldn’t really believe it when I saw > it. The thing is tiny and so weird looking. Actually saw a longboard > shaped like that as well, never saw it surfed. Saw the picture (among a bunch of nice ones on that site)…So these boards are basically small planing surfaces? With the fins, do they manuever halfway decently?
Saw the picture (among a bunch of nice ones on that site)…So these > boards are basically small planing surfaces? With the fins, do they > manuever halfway decently? Never ridden one myself. The kid that does ride it is pretty fun to watch. He hauls ass and can boost nicely.
Since watching my friend build one, and listening to his comments, I have had some thoughts of my own on what might work. The pizza pan tail, is simply to fishy, so I’d stiffen things up with a deep triple concave, see illustration. Because the board is definitely meant to be ridden rail to rail, given the template and the added fin function of the outside concave walls, I’d consider a single knife like fin, place in a standard 12" box, so you have lots of choice. As a matter of fact, I’d be tempted to put the box as far back as possible. The vee, which starts a little forward of center (and blends continuously back into to triple-concave) would hopefully, prevent the nose from sticking when the board is being ridden with the weight shifted well back, but allow for some additional tracking when its time to move down-the-line (weight a little forward.) I realize that this is contrary to current though about vee’d noses, but given the way the board is ridden, I think its appropriate here. I’d also shift the forward rail apex to a higher position than in the illustration, likely 60/40 or better. (The illustration was made last year, around this time, but it has the basic features which I describe above.) Personally, I think that there would be a real opportunity here to explore deep bottom contours. And if not bottom contours, then a really shallow 5 fin system, perhaps even similar to that which is currently used on the Bonza. In either case, all that water trapping and redirection, will likely help you actively increase speed on smallish waves (pumping) and then work for you when its time to move rapidly down-the-line (straight, not rail-to-rail.) I think you might be able to pull this off because of the excessive fishy’ness of the pizza pan tail. The board really tends to point out the required ‘tension’ that needs to exist between flat out speed and control. Here an excellent opportunity exists to add additional control, i.e. trading off some of that fishy speed for control. Kevin 