Some stuff over on surf research australia.
Firstly, you only use one rail at a time, so why not? Secondly, forehand you apply pressure through
knees, ankles and toes -through a series of muscles and sinews. Backhand the pressure goes much more directly -bones more in .line, pushing into heels that can carry massive pressure. Hence the forehand turn is the more controlled, less powerful and the backhand vise versa. So shape each rail to utilise these qualities.
Thirdly, surfing forehand you generally require a longer reaching forehand turn and tighter quicker cut back to put it back in the power. You don’t need the same arcing potential from each rail if you consistently surf a particular spot, breaking one way. It means that, if it’s practical, you can fine tune your equipment for a particular break, giving your forehand a more suitable turn and tube hugging characteristics, and your other rail a better cut back. Make sense?
So for many years now there’s been a small flicker of asymmetric thinking. One small shop, Nelson - Ekstrom in La Jolla California made them for years. Midget made a hook-back that lengthened one rail back in '63 and sold dozens. Bob Razby shaped plenty in Byron in the early seventies, and is now an excellent New Zealand shaper, no doubt still thinking asymmet- ric. I made my first in Hawaii in 1970. Bob Newlands, the Surf-Aids man has been riding Razby’s, his own, and mine now for seven years. And around Lennox, Byron there’s a small but growing school of ace-freaks.
In what way are our boards asymmetric? Well the general theme that pops up is a narrower longer
forehand line - ‘gunnier’ if you like - that delivers excellent forehand draw and helps to find the tube - a pocket rocket. This forehand tail outline is just the one you personally prefer, be it pin, wing pin, swallow, square, diamond or round.
The general theme of the backhand is wider and pivotier; one that cuts back better. Over the years it was obvious that we knew little about what makes a cutback tick, but recently by adding and subtracting foam and glass from existing shapes that we were currently surfing, we learnt a lot. .
If you notice the clear board with the complicated tail you get a before and after view. “Before” shows the backhand as a short pin, sting coupled with a longer wing pin forehand. Although this combination found the tube well, its cutback was quick but gutless. Lost all speed and slushed out in a cutback.
The “After” shot shows the added foam and" glass to give it a swallow backhand with increased area. Now she slashes cutbacks and maintains speed beautifully.
We continued this idea, area under the heels for cut- backs and the reaction has been nothing but positive.