LONG or SHORT - what's more fun?

General Discussion
21

I must say that I longboard, log to be more specific, anything under a 5 foot face, which is what the conditions are most of the time. I get more fun out of my longboard because of the satisfaction. In a two hour session i catch as many waves as I paddle for which is more than I can even count to. In a two hour session with my shorty I dont catch nearly the same amount of waves. I know, i know, quality over quantity, but it feels good to have succeeded so many times.

I am a self-professed logger, and i just cant get enough of the glide. I ride a 9’8 20 pound Nuuhiwa “lightweight” and the thing paddles like nothing else. To have that much board under my feet on a quick zipper of a wave feels extraordinary. Every session I have on a big board, whether its 1 ft or 7, i get out of the water with a big smile on my face and skip back to my car. If i could I’d ride it in every condition, but there are certain times, for safety’s sake, or for the sheer want of throwing out my fins, that I take out the thruster. But to me I never feel as naturally in tune with the waves as when I am on my log.

22

A short board just dosen’t do it for me any more. At 55 years old it’s more about having fun than trying to impress. Although I do have to admit just this past week I thought about building a shorty. Now a short board would be 7-0 to 7-6 with a lot of float. Gotta catch those waves.

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I don’t think switching boards makes you rip harder, but with my ADD I can’t help myself.The fun factor goes way up with different points of view.And I have to justify my board making addiction by ridding them all.

I have more than two boards, more like 20.

North of the GG Bridge setting up the bowl on a 7’2" & on a 8’10".

I used to be part of the crew at FP in the 90’s.Now when the swell is big and the tide is low

my friends like to go up North.

Ian

Hey ian better give roy stewart back his wetsuit.

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Hah!Not to take anything away from my fellow colorful Scotsman Roy Stewart,but I have a few custom colors of my own.I had to make a board to match each suit too.I believe he is going hot pink this year.I couldn’t pull that one off in San Francisco.

The boss (my wife) wanted matching wetsuits a few years back.Guess which colors she picked out.

Ian

25

Kendall,

Looking to gather info on the Brewer Longboards…have an opp. to buy a used 9’4" 2+1 for a reasonable price and was curious as to your likes /dislikes regarding the boards performance. Is the rocker more Hawaiian or relaxed? Any idea who is shaping these boards now? This board was a custom order, Dick’s signature… could be a lam as I have not seen the board in person yet. Any feedback appreciated.

Kickout

26

Hi there Kickout…

It could be one of many things. Brewers have been made by a few different shops over the last several years, and there are about six models of longboards in the (older) line. Recent California made boards mostly came from Epoxy Pro in San Clemente from blanks cut by KKL. Some boards were made by Jim Phillips. Gary Linden made some over the last few years, but until about five or six years ago that’s where most Brewers came from - Starting in a few weeks, Gary will be in charge of global production. Hawaii-made boards are either by Dick, Mark Angell, Steve Rex, or one of a couple others. Those are hand-cut and shaped, and don’t always conform to the specs from standard models.

My all-time favorite longboard is a 9’2" performance noserider that Dick made for himself. It’s a little flatter in the nose than the standard model, with a bit more tail rocker. It has a slight concave in the nose, lots of V in the middle, and it flattens out at the tail. This will become one of our new standard longboard models. I’ve had this board scanned by Matt Ambrose, and Michel Junod has been finish shaping them. I’ve had about eight of these made so far… in fact, I’m picking up a new one tomorrow… that will leave me with three for my quiver, and one more on order - the original is with me in SF, copy #1 is in Kauai at my mom’s, tomorrow’s board will be my daily driver, and the next one will live in So Cal so I don’t have to shlep longboards when I drive up and down the coast.

Surfers who have ridden Brewers say either their best board was a Brewer or they had their best ride on a Brewer. Bruce Irons says his best ten tuberides were on Brewers. The man knows how to design surfboards.

If the board you’re looking at has Dick’s signature in pencil on the deck, just forward of the fins, it’s most likey shaped by him. Also, if it has the “True Brew” laminate on the bottom, it’s almost 100% likely Dick shaped it. Also look for who glassed it. If it has “JR” - as in Jack Reeves, buy it and hang it on your wall. If it’s Epoxy Pro… that means KKL and finished in San Clemente. Moonlight Glassing may be a Linden, Jim Phillips, or it could be one Dick shaped on a trip to So Cal. There are about three shops on Kauai that glass Brewers. If it’s from there you have about a 50% chance that it was shaped by Dick, and 100% chance it was all hand shaped.

Custom order boards by Dick up the price by at least $500 now. He’s still shaping about 500 a year by hand, but he’s booked a couple years in advance, and Dick’s customs are going to get harder and harder to get.

Here’s the True Brew logo:

27

Kendall,

Looks like it is the San Clemente version…KKL, no “True Brew” Lam or Signature. Saw the board this morning and was amazed how much foam was carried nose to tail and rail to rail…the concaves were all there, the board just seemed bulky to me. Dims were 9’4" x 22.7x3.1 moderate rocker and a Brewer cutaway with side bites. Do all the stock boards carry that ammount of foam or did a shaper/finisher just get lazy? Not against the extra float if the performance is there…worth a try or go through Linden?

Thanks,

Kickout

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As a follow up to which is fastest…I’d very much appreciate a scientific discussion on which produces more fun…

according to my studies…the sides of mouths of longboarders seem to be more inclined to an upwards position than those of shortboarders…as a shortboarder myself…i wonder if i snarl as much as other shortboarders…?

Interested in your observations…

I ride wide tailed nuggets or nugget type shapes and get the best of both worlds. I wouldn’t say there is much if any performance drop for your average surfer. I like them both just fine but for different reasons.

29

Some of the boards made by Epoxy Pro were really nice, others weren’t. Dick didn’t have much to do with quality control. While all the boards were based on his originals, they made some creative decisions without his input. It could also have been made for a bigger guy. They did custom orders in all kinds of variations. I’m 190lbs, and I like my longboards 3" or under. More than that starts to feel corky to me. But then… even though I ride longboards most of the time now… I’ve never considered myself to be a longboarder.

I had Michel Junod make a custom noserider for my girlfriend a few months ago. She’s probably around 140lbs. That thing is 3-1/4" thick with 50/50 rails and a single fin. It has to weigh around 30lbs. The thing is a monster, and the biggest board in her quiver - it’s also beefier than anything I have. She can barely carry it to the beach… and she’s strong. After a few sessions she let me take it for a spin. I was amazed at how well it works. The elements come together to make the board do what it’s supposed to. It doesn’t do the slashing windshield wiper turns and floaters that I generally go for, but it turns easy and holds an edge. It’s a purpose-built cross-stepping machine, but it’s easy to control.

I just love surfing, and I love surfboards… all kinds of them. Even though I’ve been surfing since 1964, I’ve had limited experience with longboards. Up until about five years ago the only nine-footers I surfed were guns. My “longboard” was 8’3". When I joined Hydro Epic our only board was a 9’1" performance longboard. They only weighed 10lbs so I could huck them around like shortboards. That got me over my phobia of longboards and I’ve ridden many since. I still think most of them suck (for me). One thing I’ve learned is that different surfers like different equipment. This is good since it means there’s a surfer for every board out there - or is it a board for every surfer out there. Whatever… I’m getting two new boards tomorrow - another 9’2" Brewer clone and a 6’4" quad with a modern tail and 70’s style nose - both by Michel Junod… and both red.

30

Those ‘longboards’ are not long, not really. … . historically they are based on Alaia boards, which weren’t longboards either… . . there’s no way that a 9 footer is a longboard, it’s just a big guy shortie.

Nor are they heavy. . . . even 30 pounds is in the lightweight category.

So what I’m saying is that whichever way you slice it this discussion (so far ) is about "what’s more fun, short or shorter? ". . . Longboards don’t feature.

Longboards start at around 14 feet, and anything less than 45 pounds is kind of flaky, corky and not the real deal

If you want to know if longboarding is fun, try riding one !

( and lightweight SUP Alaia based boards and 12 footers don’t count as longboards either )

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Longboards start at around 14 feet, and anything less than 45 pounds is kind of flaky, corky and not the real deal

Ok then… my longest “shortboard” is 9’6".

32

Hi Kendall,

I’m kind of tongue in cheek with that outfield reality check, once was a time when I thought 6’10" was a longboard, didn’t mean to stopper an interesting conversation, and it’s always interesting to hear your thoughts.

cheers

33

yeah… I know. When I raz you I’m just goofing too. I just can’t resist sometimes. I expect the same.