FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY, STING LIKE A BEE = THE STING

[DEADSHAPER]

After reading the description of what is to be posted in the General Discussion Forum, it sounds like this week’s project warranted being posted here. some of you may have read my posts under the Surfshop section, which Huck started back when, hoping that I would continue contributing to Swaylocks.  That thread pretty much became a substitute for a blog.

This is different however.  

The new norm in surfboards has been guys pushing the envelope on creating something new & different. Hence we have seen a strong proliferation of square noses, snow ski type cutaways, edge boards, extreme concaved bottoms & decks… really the gamut, in search of either the ideal ride experience or maybe something that gains traction and SELLS.

My current star rider & what we are now calling a “Brand Ambassador”, Derek Thomas, had asked me about a Stinger (more correctly Sting)  I had made for a label I shape (Aviator Nation).  

For those of you that weren;t around in the early to mid 70’s, the Stinger was an innovation that longtime Hawaiian surfer & shaper Ben Aipa designed for his riders LARRY BERTLEMANN, BUTTONS KUHIOKALANI, AND MARK LIDDELL.  They regularly surfed Kaiser Bowl on the South Shore during summer and it is a wave with a unique personality. One quick turn, a barrel, cutback and you’re out!  They wanted a surfboard that could turn with a super short radius to fit this wave.

Ben created the “Sting”, and not only did it do its job admirably at Kaiser’s, but THE BOYZ took it everywhere else they surfed turning heads everytime they paddled out. 

It is in this spirit, I presnt to you a bit of history of THE STINGER OR MORE CORRECTLY THE STING, it’s journey, and my personal revisitation of this unique design.

Enjoy, and keeping thinking outside of the box!

BF aka DS

[DEADSHAPER]

A bit more to the history & a few pix of the Aviator Nation Sting built several years ago.

How Larry Bertlemann Inspired Cliff Kapono To Think Big | SURFER Magazine

Reef Hawaiian Pro: Buttons Tribute | Vans Triple Crown of Surfing | VANS

 

[Gulfsurfer101]

Just watching those two videos has inspired me to get my recently purchased Sting buttoned back up and in the water! Spent today building back the swallow tail. I’d love to pick one up with with that fin setup of yours however.

[sharkcountry]

Ben was very adamant that it is called a Sting, not stinger.

[Surffoils]

Who’s the guy in the hat ?

[Monkstar1]

Here’s mine. Rode it once in mushy waist high. Didn’t like it, but that could be for a number of reasons: fin too large, waves not ideal for sting setup, etc. One thing I noticed on mine was that the rails on the front half of the board are really thick and almost 50/50. A few times the whitewater would simply push the nose, causing it to slide out. Curious as to how your rails are shaped on the front half of those boards. First pic is a before/after of the bottom. 

 

https://swaylocks7stage.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/IMG_1214.jpg(image larger than 4 MB)

[WideAWAKE]

When I was down south working in the bay with Terry Senate a lot, people would always come in for “stingers” knowing Terry was thought to shape by Ben… Terry was always adamant that it was a Sting. He said Ben drilled it in, not a stinger. Boards would “Sting” the wave. 

 

[sharkcountry]

Larry Bertleman.

 

[sharkcountry]

Yeah, Ben had several ways of describing surfing. He used to say he preferred “surfing” the wave rather than riding the wave, meaning he liked to carve it up.

Larry Bertleman, Michael Ho, Mark Liddell, Buttons, Hans Hedemann, Buzzy Kerbox and Dane Kealoha are all within 2 years of my age. I grew up surfing at many spots seeing them. Mark, Buttons and Dane were always the nicest guys. Surfed with Ben quite a few times, and saw him go from being intense and agro to mellow. I’m thankful he was nice to me. He was always very willing to discuss board design, he’d get excited and really dig showing me some of the things he came up with. His boards were way ahead of the pack, but better for bigger surfers, or more powerful surfers.

Sadly, Ben’s health has been declining and he will never shape again.

 

[DEADSHAPER]

The Aviator Nation Sting, a 7’4", I did about 4 or 5 years ago. It has low rails in the nose section with an Island Style Beak. Flat Panel Vee thru the stings to the tail. Less vee at the tail.

The clear one is a 6’10"x21-3/4"x3" with full but low rails with some edge. There is Vee in the nose entry followed by subtle single to double concave feeding into the stings & fin cluster.  There is also a “peaked vee” just forward of the stings that gradually dissipates to a dead flat tailblock with a smidge of kick.