I am 50 years old and was looking for something that I could ride the North Shore with on those double overhead days. I wanted something that could float me and have enough speed, the right amount of rocker to make those steep drops and support my 250 lb.+ frame. I had my buddy Kimo Greene shape me his “Blala Gun”. The board came out 10’x13"x24"x14.5"x4". It was made from the Clark Foam 10’3" with Kimo’s secret custom rockers. The board catches easy and has a lot of speed and drive off the bottom. It even cutback well.
There is hope for us older big guy surfers looking for a board to ride some big Hawaiian juice.
In the mid 60’s I broke all the “rules” about making big wave full guns. I made full guns 23" wide 10’ 6" long for certain of my friends that required extreme wave catching ability. Dr. Marshall White rode a board as described above at Makaha in Dec. 1969 on that board, and has a photo of himself in the middle of a 30’ Makaha wall on the same board. Doc’s board was, of course, a single fin. Standard for the time. Most shapers don’t understand how much you can push the width of a board with the proper design. By the look of your board, as well as your rideing experience with it, you have found a shaper who does in fact have that understanding. Well done Kimo.
That board looks perfectly proportioned for a big guy. Very nice glass job also!
I saw a similar, though smaller version at a local shop yesterday. About 4" thick and quite wide but otherwise very nice lines and flow. I sometimes have to wonder when I read of the 6’2" X 2 5/8" thick fish that “Floats a 200 pounder like a longboard.” LOL!
Thanks all for the kind words. I took the board out to Kamie Land today. The sets were head high and glassy this morning. I did catch my share of waves and felt confident on the board. I need to spend more time training on the vasa trainer and in the pool to really get ready for the Country this year now that I have a “no excuses” type of board. I do still know my limits and will stick to breaks that have a decent channel.
for what it’s worth I saw a guy riding one of those Kimo boards on the South Shore and getting great rides at Queens- board looked really nice and was apparently fast and functional in definitely less than head high waves. Seems like a real fun board.
Wow , that’s really nice … Wonder where you can order one like that … I like them wide . I had a guy Steve Seebold make me a copy sorta of a G&S magic but a little more of the gun ,pulled in tail but wide 23 in and thick 3&1/2 it is the best board I have ever had as far as the shape goes Too badabout the totally crummy glass job G&S did … Pressure dings the first time I used it… think someone screwed up the glassing schedule … Anyhow Seebold is real “Magic” if you ask me . Wish I could get him to shape me a board without G&S being involved …I will try to find a pic of it … Aloha
I’m 52 and weigh 210 - shaped a similar board for a family surf trip to Tahiti this summer. Used the Rusty 9’2" blank - netted a 9’1" x 14" N x 22" WP, 1" ahead of center x 14" T, 3 1/2" thick. Tahiti was small the week we were there, (good fun surf for my wife and daughter, and me, too! at Papara), but the board worked great on reef passes at two of the outer islands. Nice to have the float for the long paddle! The three of us are going to visit my son and his wife on the north shore over Christmas - it will be interesting to see how it works over there. Thinking of hitting some of the “B” spots: Kammies, Gas Chambers, Beach park, Chuns, Jocko’s, maybe some of the “scraps” close to the channel at Sunset, if it’s not too big, etc.
