My buddy loaned me his 9’2" and I finally had a chance to take it out today. All i can say is AWESOME! Initially I thought this was only a big wave longboard but, I couldn’t have been farther off. Today I took it out at Mondos in waist to chest high wind swell and had a blast. It’s really easy to paddle and drop ins were effortless. The cool thing about it is the extra boost of power coming off the bottom turns. One small pump and you can project yourself past those crumbling sections, just like a shortboard. Would love to ride this at Rincon and see how fast it can go!
Anybody else have experience with this board.
My buddies board is a custom model from Mike and the nose is a little more pulled in than the picture below.
Haven’t ridden the Saber but, have two of Mikes “Minchinton” model and will agree that he shapes a nice board. Mine go in slop to overhead peelers. Same attributes you mention. Would be a wonderful board - for a long board - for Rincon.
If you like his work, I would suggest checking out his “Minchinton”.
Regarding your comments on the 9’2", what is your weight? I’ve had my eye on that model. I think it’s what you see Jay Moriarity riding in Wingnut’s “Art of Longboarding” and he really rips on it.
While I wouldn’t be found on a longboard for love nor money, I have seen a few of the Minchendon…minchenton, whatever it is…and I was impressed. Nice rails, good rocker, fast looking.
Michael- I’m 6’1" 185 lbs. This board was custom made for a friend who is several inches shorter yet weighs the same. It worked beautifully for me.
Doc- The rails are different from most modern longboards. They are a bit lower and pinched more than the round blocky rails that are so common today. I looked at a couple of Pearson Arrows that have somewhat similar rails. Hopefully I can take it out again today.
You definately should search out a Minchinton model. Rails like you’re seeing but with a pulled in nose compared to the Saber. Mine are pretty much neutral rails front 1/3 to slightly tucked, like a more contemporary rail, flowing into a hard (ish) edge in the tail. Tail is a 6" diamond tail.
Specs on mine are 9’0" - 16 N - 22 W (W.P. 3 to 6" forward) - 14 T - 2 7/8 thick - 5 3/4 + 4 3/4 Nose Rocker (I have 2) - 3 1/4 Tail R. Slight Vee in tail. One has a bit of concave in the nose, 3/16 +/- and is glassed lighter.
GT had a great experience with this. My wife never gave me a $1500 birthday present, so I have to make my own boards from Home Depot foam Still, that’s not very much more $$ than a custom longboard that you don’t get to help make…
Cool idea but no way would it fly with me wife. Especially since I just ordered what may be my last custom board for awhile. With summer vacations, and multiple board projects in the garage it looks like I’ll be sticking to the Home Depot foam like you. Although, you can bet that I’m taking a template off of this board tomorrow!!!
Doc- The rails are different from most modern longboards. They are a bit lower and pinched more than the round blocky rails that are so common today. I looked at a couple of Pearson Arrows that have somewhat similar rails. Hopefully I can take it out again today.
Marc
Hi Marc -
In my far-from-humble opinion, the rails on most ‘modern longboards’ are far from modern, as you have noted. Same old ____ on most of them, round and corky and won’t hold an edge.
I was very impressed with Minchendon’s understanding of rails and rocker to make even a long thang go fast. You will probably find that a higher and tighter spot on the wave will …ahmm, be more enjoyable, shall we say. My goombah Basswave had nothing but Minchendons for quite a while. He is really the guy to ask, I’m just going from my study of his boards.
By the way - one of the secrets of the RA line, leastwise a few years ago, was a very nice, well thoughtout set of boards under 8’. Sophisticated, good speed to 'em, and they’d hold well high where the speed is.
M.M. does seem to have tapped into the secret combo for rails and rocker. I…arghhhhhhhh! My wife is standing over my shoulder reminding that it’s time to take the kid to the park. Will reply later.
Minchinton Has been making all my longboards since 1998 and they all work Great! They always do everything really well, unlike some boards which will noseride really well but wont turn for shit his boards do it all. He’s also a Balsa wood Craftsman as well! I’m working on scrapping the cash together to get him to shape me a Balsa as we speak.
He’s such a great dude too when I was 18 I got thrown out of my parents house and he took me in, gave me a place to stay for a summer while I got on my feet (didn’t even want money from me although I paid what i could afford), and made me serveral sick boards back then, one of which I still ride to this day (yeah it’s built tough). I would highly recommend getting one of his boards he’s like the Merrick of the longboard world in the sense that he’s got the scientific board making formual wired and, unlike Merrick, he still hand shapes all his boards :) big plus. Here is his website in case anyone is interested. http://www.hbshaper.com