After a discussion this morning with a work friend (Auto Designer), I’ve got a question for you all.
From an artistic and/or engineering point of view, I’m interested in your opinions on the most beautiful boards designs of all time.
Of course, beauty being in the eye of the beholder, could be judged a number of ways.
Beautiful in form
Beautiful in function
Beautiful in concept
So, what are you favourites and why?
For me the answer to your question is with out a doubt the Stinger. I really love the shape. The sting, if done right, really compliments the feel of the single fin but have ridden one with a 2+1 that worked really well also. It could just be my imagination, but I think the sting really helps speed and execution backside.
This one is mine above
How about a 7-6 Dick Brewer rounded pin? Or, the Phil Edwards Model 9-6? 5-8 Pavel Lis type fish with Geppy Keels? Epac had a Wayne Rich that had beautiful lines. As pretty as I’ve seen. Too many to think of, but that’s my short list. Mike
Hey Sinner,
I’ve been toying with the idea of a small wave stinger. Most designer’s recipe for grovellers is- short and wide. I tend to dislike wide boards, especially wide tails. I don’t like surfing boards flat, I prefer to put them on edge. So I was thinking with a stinger I could have a sub 6 foot board about 20 - 20-1/2 inches wide and still have a tail pulled in to about 14".
The only things stopping me - one, I haven’t ridden one in about 30 years (back when Mark Liddell was my hero, in part because he was skinny like me), and , two, I’m wondering about their compatibility with a thruster set up, as I do not want to give up the drive of multiple fins. What say you?
ps I’d have to say the bonzer 5, aesthetically and conceptually is my favorite design, although the one I made didn’t go as hoped, but that was because of my errors, not the design’s.
Ya man, a stinger set up with a good flex center fin and some side bites would work killer in smaller surf. I kind of use mine as a groveler actually. Paddles good, nice and wide floating up front, and surf off the back 1/3rd is nice and narrow, real nice smoothe pivot response. I wonder how a 2+1 set up with turbo tunnels would work? ooooh. I acutally thought about throwing a couple proboxes in that stinger of mine, but it handles so well as a single with it moved all the way up. Super lose. And you can really feel that fin flex and release.
GO FOR IT! haha
T.
Asking a surfer to put a label on something like this is asking them to choose favorites, in any one of the categories. As these initial responses indicate, we all have our favourites for our own good reasons, look, performance, nostalgia, whatever.
If it is based on an artistic and engineering point of view, and not our own surfing favourtism, it would be really interesting to get some totally outside points of view on this subject. Outside as in people who have very little, if any, experience or contact with surfboards, and preferably artists and engineers, and why not housewives, accountants and polititians.
Put a range of designs in front of them, a good cross section of boards. Longboards, shortboards, guns, fish, stingers, zaps, fat penguins, Myerhoffer, etc, etc. Everything from wood, foam and composite, paint work and resin swirls, to accurately manufactured foils, pure lines and edges.
Then, with no explanation of the design, ask them to number them from 1 down, in each category, in order of preference. Even a range of picture perspectives would get a reaction. The results would be very interesting.
I agree Greg.
It would also be interesting to see how closely the two separate groups (surfers and non-surfers) results correlated - is a surfers favouritism as unique to our mindset or priorities as we would think?
Rohan
Oddly enough I just completed a design very similar to what you just described, and it is specifically for a thruster setup.(similar being the operative word)
The only real difference is it comes in at 6’0x19 1/2".
I’ll let you know how it comes out tomorrow.
Longboard guns are probably my favorite board design to look at. Jim Phillips(?) posted a photo of one of his and it had one of the nicest outlines I’d ever seen. Everything just looks to me to flow perfectly on that design from those who know how to shape them really well.
The Most Beautiful Board Designs Ever are posted daily over at SurfySurfy. Add it to your favorites.
Ray
me too. I did my version of a small wave stinger about 2 months ago, I call mine “The Swinger”…I have posted pics on ‘latest projects’ thread…I have been surfing it quite a bit and it goes better than I had imagined…My flyer isnt at the typical stinger spot, put mine where I thought would suit my surfing best…dims are 6’2 1/2" x 20 1/2" ( at flyer ) and 18 1/2" after flyer x 2 7/16", rounded square tail thruster…could post pics if interested or possibly PM if keen to chat more about it…gunna do another soon, this time going to go shorter, more tail lift and lighter, the one I have now will be for head high size waves but keen on a real small wave model…
Guns. Sinister looking pointy things.
I agree.
I would have to agree with the Brewer/gun/sinister thing for beautiful design.
Since modern western “culture” is obsessed with “design” and “labels” and “designers” we get that notion crammed down our throats a million ways daily. As a surfer at whatever stage I’m in I’m not terribly interested in the whole big-wave macho man vs mountain thing any more, but I can’t find the interest in longboards either. The art of surfboards and construction is very intriguing though. But when I sit here and try to think of what would have appeal to someone outside surfing with an interest in design…the image that pops is Brewer guns, maybe of the 70’s vintage…in the few times I’ve seen one in the flesh the buzz is obvious and exists beyond anything the surf media may have invested and entirely apart from cosmetics…we’re talking the lines…
Nothing against any others who built boards of that or any other era, I’m sure plenty of others made and make boards of equal quality/energy/groundbreaking whatever. I guess I’m thinking the package that somehow rises above…what? Something that transcends the sport/art/culture to be of obvious appeal to complete outsiders.
Okay…there’s my shot…now what have I missed?
My stinger works well as a thruster.
As for “lay persons” judging… My suspicion is, it’d become like art; “I like the swirly one,” “I like the wood one,” I like the one painted like a brick wall w/graffiti on it,"
Sorry,I Haveta be the one ta break this news to Ya’all.
but BUTT. the most beautiful boards Ever
in the history of the Known universe,
are the two boards I just hot-coated .
as with all masterbatory activities
…uncle zigmunt wout agree…
the primary focus is on the phalus in hand.
this said,you can now see quite clearly
that the board you just hotcoated
is also
the most beautiful board designed ever
and dont forget to allow yourself this moment
of exstatic glee for it only lasts until you sand through
or install the fin crooked…let alone the day
your best fiend runs into the rail
and puts the death nell ding
in rhe rail to dilute your devotion…
every body can be right on this one
…ambrose…
wood boards i like are simmons, quigg, kivlin, george downing round pin guns and pat curren guns. any beautifully executed round-pin single fin and of course, liddle hulls-which to me are full of sensuous, complex curves that when in water, on a wave, feel like no other.
I think you would have to take the “finish” out of the equation (paint them all the same colour) and let people just look at the form.
Bill Caster’s early sixties, 3 stringer, talilblocked, “speed shape” longboard. I was just a kid hanging out at his shop on Midway drive and wanted one sooo bad. Could not affored one. Drew picture after picture of what MINE would look like. In the back of my mind I hoped that maybe someday I would be able to shape one even close to “Billy’s”.
Yesterday at the Beach House in Santa Barbara, Ca I saw a really nice solid wood board standing in the corner. I’m not good enough at wood identification to positively say what type of wood it was but it was solid and it was nice. Flat rocker and knifey 50/50 rails. Likely shaped by Yater Sr.
I’ve seen similar boards at the Noll shop in Crescent City, Ca shaped by Greg Noll.
Nice as these boards are, they are still replicas.
I’ve heard that in the Bishop Museum in Hawaii there are some examples of the real thing. The ritualistic aspect of the tree cutting, the design, the hand shaping with primitive tools and the value placed on these boards by the ancients put them (my opinion) in a class of their own.
That said, there’s a guy who posts here on occasion, Richard McCormick, who has built some mighty fine boards…
