Hi, Thankyou for your interest in the fatpenguin surfcraft. We hope this information will give any reader an insight to what we are achiveing so far. What we’ve organised is an article from Pauls Own perspective plus an article we’ve been preparing for an info pack we are compiling. Hope this fills in the gaps. The first Paragraphs are the info; the second section is Pauls own words. As you have probably noticed we are using free site and e-mail. The site in a nutshell has been the driving force for our motivation of late. Paul at times has had second thoughts about the Penguin Project as it is a resource draining project, for it’s a controversial subject amongst manufacturers, who are in no great rush to endorse a competitor whose shape is definately superior! We have tentative equiries for overseas orders; two confirmed being constructed right at this moment. They will be arriving in Santa Cruz and California in 1 month. We have tested market viabilty and have submitted for finance to export full scale. So if you have any other questions or thoughts about our boards please dont hesitate to ask! regards Tony. THE NEXT EVOLUTION IN SURFBOARD DESIGN IS HERE AT LAST! In this world of high technology there have been many major changes - space research, cars, computers etc - but the humble surfboard has missed the ‘techno wave’. Most surfers are riding boards which have hardly changed in 25 years. The current three-fin thruster is basically the same as it was in 1974; a simple concept - it is a planing hydro-craft. The force a fluid can exert on an object is proportional to its surface area. The surfboard needs all its surface area to stay afloat at slow speeds. The trouble is, at high speeds when the water exerts more force on the board, it clatters and bangs around because the surface area it now needs is not much bigger than a skateboard. This is quite inefficient. One way to deal with this problem is to have three or more boards for different surf conditions. What you really need is one board that can perform in just about any conditions; a board that efficiently harnesses the energy of any wave, large or small. Until now there has been no such thing. That’s why Paul Cole has spent the last ten years developing a totally new concept in surfboard design… welcome to the Fat Penguin project. ABOUT PAUL Paul grew up at the beach. His dad, Bob, was a keen diver and spearfisherman. He bought Paul an 11’4" Ron triple stringer when he was a little nipper. “I remember trying to turn it - it handled like a semi-trailor and loved to drill you in the shore break!” By the age of 14, Paul began building his own boards and a few for his mates. He loved surfing at Cronulla Point and the Point loved chewing up surfboards in the days before legropes. For 19 years he surfed as much as possible and travelled each weekend to get uncrowded surf. He tried competition surfing a couple of times but the surf was small and Paul preferred large gnarly waves that were a challenge. His style was radical power surfing, and he has many injuries to show for it. Paul was a trainee Flight Engineer in 1968 at Qantas’ private college, averageing 92%. They were upset when he left in second year to pursue his love of surfing. Bobby Brown was a friend of Paul’s, a major influence in his early surfing life. He helped Paul land a job at Gordon & Smith Australia early in 1969. For six months, he did ding repairs, made fins and put stringers in blanks. He designed a new board for himself using a profile shape derived from the top side of a plane wing and and mirror-flipping it. This produced a streamlined 7’ board, breaking away from the rounded square-nosed 9’2" mini-mals. It was a huge commercial success for G&S; they sold 300 units that season and Paul became a full-time shaper shortly afterwards, and progressed quickly to Head Shaper. The manager, Terry Hamill, would allow Paul some free materials from time to time to experiment with new design concepts. When G&S was sold to a group of business professionals, Paul left, as shaping 30 boards a week all much the same got very boring. He bought a Norton Commando and went motorcycle racing. “As the number of boards you’ve shaped runs into the thousands, it’s very pleasing to do custom boards for good surfers” Paul stopped making surfboards for a living and really enjoyed surfing without all the hype. “I’ve been surfing for 41 years and it’s even more fun now. It’s not like racing bikes - if you lose concentration, you only get wet - or ski racing where you get ice burns and twanged ligaments”. The world of flow dynamics has been an interest to Paul all his life. Through the years he’s worked on cruising yachts and racing exhaust systems for cars and bikes. He’s always had an interest in fighter aircraft and their history, and in space research. It became obvious to him that the surfboard of the mid 70’s hadn’t changed much in 25 years. To illustrate, if you get 100 new boards from reputable manufacturers around the world, line them up and stand back 30 metres, they all look much the same. He was watching a surf video one day and held up his hand over the board in the film and asked himself ‘What’s that guy standing on? How does it work? Why is it so?’. A Pandora’s box of fluid dynamics opened up. ABOUT THE FAT PENGUIN The Fat Penguin is an Aquatic Glider. It was designed to break the nexus of the current planing surf-craft. To take advantage of the direct relationship between air and water as fluids, this hydro-glider employs the flow principles of lifting bodies - bodies which perform the job of a wing. The Fat Penguin itself is a lifting body, comprised of seven integrated flow forms, each with up to three specific tasks. It has a higher lift ratio than relying on surface area alone, which means it actually flies in its own medium - the water. Paul researched the fluid dynamics and physics of modern fighter jets, pressure wave gliders, F1 cars, 12 metre yachts, the fastest bullets, sharks and penguins, looking for common factors in speed manoeuverability and efficiency. He applied the commonality of flow characteristics between them all to redesign the surfboard from scratch. The Fat Penguin, or Integrated Flow Projectile, came from the idea that if aircraft fly in air then surfboards should be able to fly in water. As part of his research, Paul studied penguins and found them to be fascinating creatures. His board’s name came from them - on land they have limited mobility; they don’t look fast and they’re pretty clumsy. However, they are affected by gravity much less than a human and in the ocean they transform into highly mobile, graceful birds flying in a liquid sky at up to 80 kph. Paul had so much confidence in his new design that it was registered to protect its intellectual property before any test boards were even built. This design registration No. 119977 is now being amended and updated Australia-wide. Paul’s research culminated in a series of 25 prototypes, built to test and refine each of the seven subcomponents. The first seven boards were the most diverse and the best of these (No. 1) was chosen as a control board for the next seven test shapes. The shape settled nicely into set parameters by the time 21 prototypes were built. The fin system then took 17 test shapes and one and a half years to develop. To meet the needs of a high-speed aquatic glider, the front vector fins steady the board. In low speed turns the Penguin is lively and responsive. At high speeds, the small front fins interact with the rear flexible twin fins to create a shock-wave which functions like a long keel fin. Finally, No. 25 was as good as it gets with the best of all the research. A joy to ride with no bad habits and lightning-fast responses. At 30% faster than standard planing boards, the Fat Penguin is more efficient. Inherent in its flow design is three times the durability of a planing board too so it lasts longer and is almost impossible to break in the surf. It is built to last for three years at a competitive level. “The Fat Penguin is the culmination of my life’s acquired knowledge about surfboard design. Building boards is my artform. To see a happy, smiley surfer at the end of a surf session, well it makes all the effort that’s gone into the Fat Penguin project worthwhile”. THE TEST SESSIONS 200 test pilots were all chosen for their surfing ability and enthusiasm. The feedback from them was fairly consistant. For example, everyone agreed that No.8 board was a rocket-sled but nobody, including Paul, could get a cutback out of it. Conversely, No.20 turned so fast it was way too lively. Boards No’s 23-5 had the new fin system and all the test riders loved them. They’d leave Paul sitting on the beach for hours while they got just one more wave. Many riders comments were: “Its different" "Its very loose” “It drives though the water when paddling out” “It gets on the wave really easy” “It`s very fast” In 1993, Prime local news aired a story about Paul and his Fat Penguin project, showing Prototype No.2. At a Port Macquarie beach, the film crew from Prime picked a random surfer to test-ride the board on the spot, with positive results, and proof that even the early model Fat Penguin worked well; Paul was on the right track and continued to develop his product. THE CURRENT FAT PENGUIN The first commercial Fat Penguin, No. 26, a highly refined, high-performance board, was built to the current design in Byron Bay, 1998. The dimensions of the board range from 6’ to 6’6". Anything larger becomes over-efficient. The 6’6" is built for a 100kg rider. The nose varies from 16" to 17" wide and the wings, from 19" to 20" wide. The dimensions of the board can be adjusted for speed or manoeuverability. It has two rail lines and two rockers. Fully tested and now in production, only 100 of these revolutionary surf-gliders will be manufactured, by hand, in the year 2000. “I think the level of flow physics in these boards is so advanced, they will be modern for years to come. At Fat Penguin 2000 we believe in ongoing refinement of our product with a relentless pursuit of excellence and durability”. A GUIDE TO RIDING THE PENGUIN PADDLING OUT Trim the Penguin flat with the tip of the nose about three centimetres above the surface and you’re away. The tail of the board stays on the surface like the flow of a water beetle. You can really drive them through the water and they’re super easy to duck-dive; there’s not much area in the nose so it’s easy to push under. The wings give the board a lot of stability and when the wave hits the tail section you get spat out the back of the wave. In bigger surf the narrow nose is easy to hang on to and drag under heavy whitewater. For women, it’s comfortable on the breasts when paddling due to its narrow nose. Sitting around waiting for a wave is even quite different. You grip the board behind your knees where the wings start, leaving your hands free, knowing it can’t pop out between your legs. They’re stable and can be positioned for a take-off very quickly. You can paddle onto a green wave and wait for it to break. CATCHING A WAVE Catching a wave is all too easy. This is where you get your first taste of what a glider is like to surf rather than a conventional planing shape. You will increase the number of waves you catch by a conservative 40% - two or three arm strokes and you’re off. WARNING: You’ve got to be ready! The Penguin gets going fast the moment there’s any power around so you have to be on your feet quicker than usual. You’re in for a high-speed belly-board ride if you’re a bit slow. Late vertical take-offs are a piece of cake. These boards love vertical manoeuvers; let them run late into the bottom hand turn and they’ll slash long arc turns. You can’t spin a Penguin out; if you over-crank it, it’ll just turn faster and take you back where you came from. It’s a really fluid turning board even at high speed. “It won’t turn!” is a common cry of surfers who are turning the board too far forward (not everyone has this problem). Don’t forget that the Fat Penguin has two rail lines - one for big arcs and a rocker from the wings back for short radius turns. Deliberately finding the trim point to tail stall usually solves the turning problem. RIDING WITH RHYTHM The Fat Penguin looks pretty funny compared to a standard planing board but it doesn’t go like that. Pretend it’s water soluble; you forget it’s there. It doesn’t have bad habits. It goes where you’re looking - no grabbing rails in a tube to get the board to turn in - it’s very manoeuverable; you surf with your eyes. You can ride through rough chop smoothly too; no clatter, very stable. By setting up a rhythm like in a skate bowl or on a snow board, you will increase your speed to the point where it’s up to you where you go on a wave. Under your feet is the engine room. The Penguin can be pumped up to very high speed easily. It takes three or four rides to come to terms with the speed of the board - you have to compensate with much faster reaction times - and once you do, the sky’s the limit! At speed you’ll find that standing on top of the fins, or just forward of them, is the best spot to trim the Penguin. If you make the take off you’ll make the wave. BRAKES You’ll need them! Big tail stalls to get your entry speed for a turn right or you’ll crash like a F1 car. It does take a few months to really settle and come to terms with the extra speed. You have less time to be decisive and will have some excellent high-speed stacks! FILM FOOTAGE - THE FAT PENGUIN IN ACTION We are currently compiling some film footage to show the board being ridden. You’ll see a large range of manoeuvers and the board turning in the blink of an eye. more FAT PENGUIN 2000 This year, Paul is in the final stages of research and development. Working from his workshop in Nambucca Heads, his new company, Fat Penguin 2000, will officially open. TONY Tony is a close friend of Paul’s and has followed the Fat Penguin project with enthusiasm over the past 5 years. He first met Paul at Main beach, Nambucca Heads, where Test Board No.24 caught his attention. In November, 1999, Tony began compiling a database of email addresses from surf-related internet sites and associated individuals. By the end of December he had sent out 100 introductory emails with photos of the Fat Penguin, and posted messages and debates on surf-site bulletin boards and forums. The feedback from this initial introduction of the Fat Penguin to the world wide web was quite promising. He set up and now maintains a preliminary website with photos, information and contact details for Fat Penguin 2000 at www.spacegroove.com/fatpenguin/. This site is linked to various surf-sites and registered with numerous search engines. ON THE INTERNET FAT PENGUIN 2000 Our Preliminary website at: www.spacegroove.com/fatpenguin/ Email: We are currently receiving positive feedback from around the world. The internet is the backbone of the company, getting our information directly to the market. ALSO SEEN AT: www.surfinfo.com.au - under Equipment/Different Boards www.surfrider.org - Surfrider Foundation, under Green Board Messages www.surfinfo.com - East USA surf site/Links www.surflounge.com - Crazy Joes Surflounge, under Supreme Surf Sites www.surftrader.com - Private Lable Forum for businesses and Interchange www.magna.com.au - Global Oceanic Links, under Southern Planetary Region www.SURFmagic.co.uk PROFFESSIONAL INTEREST FROM THE INTERNET: BRUCE GABRIELSON, PhD Founder of the first surf School in the US. A Huntington Beach surfing legend and Californian surf-school instructor. Bruce is very interested in the design. Email: Website: www.blackmagic.com/ses/surf - The first Internet Surfing Website ANDY ANDERSON A surfboard collector and restorer, and author of Stoked’n’Board, a surfboard collectors and restorers manual in which he has included the Fat Penguin. Email: Website: www.home/att/net/~AndersonSoCal/ BRUCE CHANNON Editor of www.surfinfo.com.au and contributor and senior photographer at Australian Surfing World magazine. Bruce briefly introduced the Fat Penguin with its picture on his website under Equipment/Different Boards. He also included the picture in his regular feature in the March/April issue of Surfing World. Email: CHRIS BARRETT Product Manager for Fin Control Systems(FCS) at Surf Hardware International. Chris supplied Fat Penguin 2000 with a FCS kit for five boards. His company will recieve a complimentary Fat Penguin for appraisal by Managers and Directors. Email: FCS website: www.fincontrol.co ------------------------------------- PAULS EXPLANATION OF FP SURFBOARD My name is Paul Cole. Im the designer of the Fat Penguin - Integrated Flow Form. I have been building surfboards since I was 14 years old and am now 49. I got my first surfboard when I was seven; it was an 114 Ron Triple 3/4 Stringer and a D-Fin. I grew up at Cronulla Point and became a shaper for G&S. My first commercial design turned up in 1969 when the boards at the time were 9 - 10ers. I took the top wing profile of a spitfire and mirror flipped it giving a pointed nose and rounded pintail with a length of 76 . At first people thought they were too small and wouldnt paddle but we sold 300 that summer. At that time my own board was a 64 twin fin. I dont know how many times people asked me Why are you standing up on a belly board? Terry Hamill, the then owner of G&S, used to give me materials for the occasional experimental design; these were some of my most fulfilling years. I left pro-style surfing world in 1974 to go motorcycle racing but I still surfed. My main skills are Flow Dynamics dealing with gases and fluids. I designed the first 4 into1 exhaust for superbikes and some work on 2 stroke expansion chambers. I needed something to fire up my life so I went snow skiing and became hooked on downhill and speed skiing. After mastering this sport I became board and went back to motorcycle racing. After five years and two more horrendous stacks I retired. In 1988 while recovering, I started work on the humble surfboard and applied science and the latest technology to aid this process. The current surfboard is technically a PLANING surfform. Archemedies - the force a fluid can exert on an object is proportional to its surface area. Michael Paine B.Eng. has done a thesis on how the current surfboard works. Since 1976 when Simon Anderson introduced the thruster fin system it was seen as a retro move. After he won the Bells comp in 81 there was no turning back and the thruster was accepted. The current thruster shortboards are a very refined product that is in a steadystate as for as advancement of surfcraft is concerned. To break this nexus I added more subproducts to the surfboard that were assembled from research into the fastest flow forms on the planet. I crunched the profiles of Mig foxbat, F-16, SR 71 Blackbird, J-39 Eurojet; the fastest bullet; Mako shark, Spanish mackrel, Tuna; Penguins and 12 metre yachts. After two and a half years of assembling and crunching data a commonality of flow forms emerged. THE TEST SESSIONS Knowing the surf industry I was to go back to, I knew it would resist anything new, so I set up controlled test sessions using a series of 21 test boards. The FP has 7 sub sections that are assembled to create a lifting bodyform. Each of the seven sections needed to be checked and refined. It also took 17 months to check and refine the fin system. The first 9 test boards showed the direction the shape should head in and by No. 21 the shape was working well, but dialling in the fins wasnt right until No.26 which was a beautiful board to ride. There are 36 Penguins now and theyre very refined and strengthened… To get to the present level of development has taken 12 years of R&D and a lot of work. THE TEST RIDERS Theyre usually like this - Id paddle out, catch a few waves and then if theres a good surfer around Id invite them to have a session or keep the board for a few days or weeks in exchange for feedback. As for Pro surfers, yes there have been a few but they are tied up by their sponsors. If they endorse me they will loose their sponsorship (it takes 2000 boards sold just to pay their wage); they have shown a lot of support but they are in a catch 22 position. I received encouragement and feedback form long term surfers who knew their sport and who were open minded enough to try something new. THE PHYSICS OF THE FAT PENGUIN The hard science used to evolve the FP project is the same as NASA and Japanese Aerospace used in designing the space shuttle and NASP pressure wave gliders. There is also a mathematical formula to describe the flow shape which took over two years to assemble using the work of Archemedies, Newton, Freude, Renolds, Chung, Burt Rutan, Helmholtz. This was a bug headache to get through yet it was vitally important that the core theory of the project was sound. The Thruster is a PLANING surfcraft whereas the FP is an Aquatic Glider with far higher lift/drag ratios making it more efficient. An anology would be a paper kite compared to a glider. THE FP ADVENTURE Its a bit like the Blues Brothers movie; full of setbacks, miracles and zany adventures. Right now are exciting times but to get here has cost everything - family, assests, even lost me dog. To stand alone being pillonied by the industry was not much fun and I thought I was a looney about five years into it but the encouragement and support of surfers and known piers of the surf industry and the support of surfers has made all the difference and the dream stayed alive. Now we have supporters all around the world using the internet with a factory now set up in Nambucca Heads and our first board going to California next week. The pressure is still on but the High Vibes at the moment make up for the lack of lifes essentials. P.D.Cole. 