I know this is an optical illusion, and those guys are flying, but the the wave’s reeling speed, the boards are often ‘appearing’ to be maxing out at a certain speed as many run away without them.
Giant barrelling beachbreak factor I guess.
Too much mindsurfing the possibilities.
Agreed
Jamie Mitchell’s board looked good
And, it seems the quads look better than the trusters
I think that this shows why towing in is not as bad as we want to make it. I can say that my experience with longer versus shorter boards is that shorter boards are way faster and better in big waves. The problem is that we can’t catch the big waves with the short boards.
I don’t know what the best way to deal with towing in is, but it is ashamed that paddling in has taken away the opportunity to see just how incredible high performance big wave surfing can be. I don’t think watching a guy catch a giant wave but not making it past the drop is worth stopping guys from being able to drop into a giant wave really deep and tear it up. I’d love to see a competiton with guys going at it towing in.
We need to find a way to make it work for everyone, and that includes the SUPs. SUPs are a problem for regular surfers because they can catch waves earlier. Maybe there should be a paddle assist clause so anyone not paddling with just their arms is put into a different category and have to stay away from area where others are just paddling in with their arms.
I agree - so many design factors in those guns work against generating speed, a tough compromise.
Definitely part optical illusion. I was watching and wondering why they’re not hitting the gas to get through it, but they’re probably flying as is and I’m mindsurfing faster than possible. If they made the boards faster would they just skip out of the water or be too difficult to control?
I feel like they all could have used wider tails and some sort of non-pin.
Too much tail feathers in my (totally unqualified) opinion.
Either a swallow or a big squash or???
Maybe increase center width a tad and add some tail rocker to compensate for the straighter outline through the back 3rd.
While we’re at it, why not chop the nose by at least 6"… maybe a foot. Round it off and flip the tip…
That much railline is that much drag. Perhap shark skin type of coatings would work here much more noticably than on the everyday HPSB.
I’ll never find out personally.
I have a 9’3" softer tailed pintail that I ride upto double overhead so far, and it maxes out at 6500 rpm in third gear, no matter how much juice is pushing me or whether the hull is 400 grit cross hatched rough or freshly polished and somewhat hydrophobic.
No fourth gear, and certainly 5th and a supercrusier 6th gear have been called for at times, but there is too much drag from rocker and fin to ever get there, and when performing manevers to increase speed are ineffective, it is dissappointing.
Should be interesting to watch the evolution of big wave paddling equipment from here. In many ways I miss seeing tow surfing performance, and giant waves go unridden because they can’t be paddled into, But paddling in and making the drop and the wave is just so much more visually impressive to me, compared to being whipped in with plenty of time to set up the ride on a much faster and more manueverable board strapped to ones feet.
Heck, at those sizes it is all impressive.
That Peahi contest blew my mind, and giant Puerto is mindsurfing paradise.
I think it’s a combination of too much wetted surface, and not being able to get the same results from pumping the board like you get when you’re on a short board. Maybe the flexing of the shortboards has something to do as well.
While I do appreciate the challenge they are dealing with, and I have total respect for the paddle in guy, I don’t think this is pushing surfing to it’s limits. Maybe pushing individuals to their limits.
Props to Twiggy for having a very good contest. He was in the right place at the right time more than anyone else.
I had this Idea back in the 70’s of a two piece board around 6’0’’ with a tail extension of 36" that you release when you catch the wave.
I still think it would work. I pictured myself taking off with 9’0’ and riding the wave on a 6’0". Maybe pull a cord so the tail breaks away.
Back when I was thinking about this there were no leashes.