now my neighbor's fence wants to surf too (Alaia #2)

General Discussion
1

Hi everybody, continuing with the trend of surfing fence planks,I have decided to try Cedar, to see in which way it's different from redwood (and also because it's basically the only other wood available in fence plank form here).

this time I have decided to try and extend the lenght beyond 6' by attaching a segment with the grain going sideways. I hope that this will also help reduce the chances of the board splitting (I already knkocked a splinter out of the tail of the first one).

Dimensions are 6'6" x 14" 3/4 x 1/2"

this is also a true double ender, taking inspiration from a few ideas I've been playing with or years, but most imbortantly from BJIS and his double ender.

another good reason for it is that I didn't like the feeling of a sharp corner near my groin :)

I put some cork on top, getting the idea from Poobah (I think, I apologize if I'm mixing peaople up, it's been a while), but it didn't come out right, and so far I think it was probably a bad idea. I was hoping to get some more flotation out of it, but it seems to float less than the previous one (and Cedar should be a little lighter than redwood). It also didn't glue up right, and i have a few bubbles that inthe long run are going to generate some problems

Then, here below, you can see the leash plug detail (built roughly like in the previous one), and the concave, which actually came out real nice this time.

the concave runs the entire lenght of the board.

Despite the added lenght, I'm still riding it prone like the first one (this is narrower too). it feels better than the first, it turns better, and the cedar definitely flexes a lot better, with a nice springy feeling.

Coments? ideas? jokes? insults?

anything welcome

thanks to everybody who helped me out, on sways and not, and my family (especially my wife) to put up with this.

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2

ok, I don’t know why but the pictures didn’t seem to come through, although in the preview everything worked fine.

you can see them here if you want

http://picasaweb.google.com/dmitico/Alaia#

the new one is in the first 10 images.

3

looks good mate. what did you seal it with? how is it holding up?

4

A LEASH on an alaia…? And your riding it prone…why do you need a leash? Come on man…a little historical integrity and respect…

5

Hi surfinggreen,

I sealed it with Tung Oil, like I did with the first one.

it seems to be holding up pretty well. it’s probably too narrow for me and the waves I’m using it on (weak), next one I’ll probably make at least 16" wide, but I like the double ender approach.

it flexes really nnicely, and I’m able to make tight turns even laying down, which is something I definitely can’t do with the Redwood one.

d

6

Hey Entropyfletch,

I know, I’m sorry, I didn’t think you’d get mad because you didn’t think about it first :wink:

Kidding aside, I don’t really use the leash, but putting a leash plug in after it’s completed would be a lot harder, and the intention is to start standing on it at some point, which means I’ll loose the board quite a bit

Where I surf there are usually a lot of people in the water, including kids playing on the inside and peple learning how to surf. I already had somebody (unintentionally) shoot a longboard in my face and break my nose at the base, if this thing gets away from me it could easily knock a kid dead, and I’d like to avoid that.

I have attached the previous one to a leash once, I was playing with it in dumping shoulder high shorebreak, and I can guarantee you that it was almost impossible to hold onto it all the time, and I’m glad I had the leash because (once again) kids were playing on the inside, including my kids.

As for the historical integrity and respect, sorry but I don’t really see where that comment is coming from: you’re fine with the fact that I glued up fence planks (with Epoxy, a hardly historical material) rather than choosing a Koa tree with a witchdoctor, finding the soul of the tree, carving it out by hand using shells and so on; You’re fine with the double-ender template and the cork on top, but the leash doesn’t fit? that’s amusing…

If you think that because of that my thing doesn’t deserve the “alaia” name I’m cool with that, I still enjoy it. and I’m open to suggestions as to what I should call it :slight_smile:

thanks

d

ps: Just so you know, I got he idea for the leash plug from a picture of Rob Machado holding an Alaia in his hand (with a leash plug), made by, I guess, one of the Wegener brothers.

7

Relax guy, just takin the piss outta ya.

I would never ride that kinda board with a leash, but thats just my personal opinion…I dont use leashes very often anyway, just don’t likem…but hey, to each there own, even if they’re a kook…

8

I undestand, my post was written with a smile too.

I hardly ever use a leash myself, but that’s with boards I know how to handle.

Given the big unknown here, I decided to put the option in just in case. it’s easy to have a leash plug an not using it, much harder to want a leash and not having anywhere to attach it :slight_smile: