“HOWEVER, the inverted Vee, which is nearly impossible to shape well by hand, along with the roll of the bottom panels is pure genius (bottom (left and right) panels actually “twist” as they progress down the board and continue to extract/translate falling/gravity energy into “forward go”.) More of the board is an engine, and you can see this in the incredible accelerations that are possible, it’s like at least an octave or two faster than conventional single-to-double and single-with-double bottom contours.”
I would love to hear you explain this further PlusOne… I’m having trouble picturing it but am intrigued.
Have a 5’10" x 16" x 2" foam cut blank I modified from a JA shape from about 8-9 years ago for a tow board… Just finished a 6 foothish x 16"x 2" modified JA for a tow board for this season. These boards are sooooooo smooth and maneuverable in glass(of course) or windy chop. Hands down best board I have ever ridden.(double hull, inverted V). JA is a genius in my book and he was so gracious to let me buy some of his rough cut prototypes.
Pics- My last JA gem I modified for a future tow board( took off 3 inches+ width and 1 inch thinckenss.
Other pics my new JA modified tow board with sanded filler coat prior to LAST coat of green room epoxy(no additive F)
love watching ryan surf and seeing the crazy shapes he comes up with
the stringerless with carbon do look like they have a spring on the good bottom and top turns but also looks really twitchy/bouncy in a lot of sections
jeff alexander boards do look amazing - i worked with him for a while at HIC (also sanded a lot of the Steve Morgans) kicking myself now for never getting a hold of one of those geminis! i did shape something with a similar back-end (but with a more conventional nose) and was one of my favorites
Charlie, the Gemini compsand you helped Bernie make started us on this crazy trip. I need to get it in the water again. I rode that balsa bonzer you helped me make about a month ago. I think it’s time to ride the balsa gemini then ride the one Bernie gave me earlier this year. Time to see how they compare. I know that the Balsa board will last till I’m dead. It’s pressure ding proof.
About a month ago I hit my board twice, and I got a nasty cut on my foot. I also felt it hit my back/buttocks and thought I broke it in half. Turned out that I landed on the fins, tore out one of the front fins and almost pulled 2 others out. Yesterday my wife noticed that the vest I wear had a tear in it along the lower back almost at the edge. I don’t know how I managed to not get my backside impaled.
so little vague on the need for the ‘picklefork’ nose of the Gemini design - what’s gained that would be lost instead by going with diamond shaped nose that doesn’t look/possibly act like a decapitator…? Front 18" of nose and rail are almost always out of the water during the ride once going over the ledge as it is, so…?
According to the designer, if you ride a 7’0" gun for third reef pipe you will be on 6’2" gemini. But by today standards that would be 6" over gunned for current pros. When gemini’s first came out(decades ago) the tomo diamond shape was not around. Jeff Alexander’s designs have been ripped off by many since his patented design. I am not sure of his sales success of this concept, but he will forever known as a true innovator in surfbaord design. Double hulled, inverted vee ,nose to tail channel/concave, no cant double foiled fins in the rear with quad set up, sk8 deck, concave deck all have been incorperated in so many surfboards, SUPS, windsurfers throughout the world. I laugh everytime I see a rehased version of his perfected concept and design. I can’t claim his shat was the starting point, but he brought lots of complexities together to make a total package of fun. I am not one to rave about surfboards and shapers because I mainly only surf my shapes. But I have to give credit where credit is due. If I only knew he was moving i would have been way more aggressive in fostering a relationship with him to selfishly benefit me. I hands down claim his 6’3" gem 2, that I totally covered in corecork, is the fastest, best performing board I own. I have surfed 20+ foot faces outside haleiwa with this thing and it IS!
Pro box NEVER come out like that!!!(according to the manufacturer) Hopefully I did not place those and I don’t recognize the board. Hope the foot is healing. I love my protec fins even more now.
