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I was over due for some foot surgery, but had planned to squeeze in a last minute trip with some friends to El Salvador, land of the rights, as they say. I am a goofy foot. And this is my story.
I met George Gall about 5 years ago while on a “listening tour” of Southern California to gather information that would help me understand why I was such a lame board builder. It didn’t work out, but George and I stayed in touch and I always thought I should get a custom board from him, since he was smart guy and a fellow engineer. And he had his own shaping machine, and his boards were just so good, and he know so much about materials and shape and design. As Bill Thrailkill told me, he is the complete package.
Well, I later learned that George was into Asymmetric designs and I had been dabbling in it myself, so putting 2 and 2 together (El Salvador backhands + George’s Asym’s) I had a message from God.
I called George and he went into high gear and built this crazy unreal board in about 3 weeks and shipped it to me in time for the trip. (That was amazing in and of itself.) I’m going to depend on George to explain it all, but just wow. It is a thruster in the sense that there are three fins, but all three fins are sized different. And placed differently. I don’t know how he placed the fins, since the Fusion boxes are all over the map. And although I could not actually feel the difference, I put the trac pad off to the strong side just to show George I was “all in”. But I did seriously feel the asym difference in the water. Normal on the front side, significant backside advantage. (Data point for those of you who don’t understand: the board goes both ways, it just gives a little extra backside advantage).
When we got to our hotel in El Salvador, I had arranged for one of my more open minded friends to video me opening my board bag and showing the other guys the board for the first time. They had no idea what was coming. The reaction bordered on unbelief, disgust and anger. Maybe betrayal. I was laughing so hard I couldn’t put my fins in. One of the guys from the hotel came over and started putting my fins in, but when he saw all three fins were different he shrugged and gave up. I have never laughed so hard.
So how did it ride? Beyond my high expectations. It was consistently head high and the sets were easily well OH. All backside, all point break all just reeling. IOW, great testing conditions. Without exaggeration, my buds said my surfing was never better. Nunca mejor, in Espanol. These are the same guys disgusted with the board.
It is 6-4 by 6-2 on the heel side. It would probably be about a 6-6 plus if it had a nose. I like the chopped nose because I can reach up and push down for those minor duck dives. You will have to ask George to explain the bottom. There is a lot going on down there, but I don’t know what.
I take as the measure of success this little thought: Most of the time I was in the water not riding waves, I was thinking about how all my favorite boards needed to be rebuilt in Asym.
George is too modest to tell you, but he has been invited to shape an Asym at the up coming Sacred Craft in October. Mr. Eckstrom has apparently personally blessed this latest board and set it up for George. I am coming out to watch and to tell everyone that George is my friend and personal shaper. That should get me a lot of free beer and offers from hot chicks.
Seriously, guys, this is the state of the art. George has gone beyond the offset round tail, beyond the fish, and built this strange board for me and a few others.
Here are some pics. Notice the fin position and the bottom rail tuck.
I have a lot of work yet to do on fin trials. But I can't wait to get back in the water with this thing. Such a great board.