What is the application of a single fin stinger? What do they ride like and what type of conditions are they intended for?
There’s some info in the archives, haven’t tryed it out myself yet, but I hope I get the time to finish this shape soon, It’s laying there half shaped for much to long now. Peter Rijk.
What is the application of a single fin stinger? What do they ride like > and what type of conditions are they intended for? The “STING” design was developed by Ben Aipa in Hawaii, according to Ben the name origined from a design he created for Larry Bertlemann in the 70’s. When Ben saw Larry tearing up the waves off of Diamond Head on his new design he exclaimed to himself “Oh he is stinging it”. The concept of the design was derived from hydroplane boats i.e “Miss Budweiser” that Ben viewed being raced off Sand Island one summer. The archetypical STING has a 3/8" step bottom behind the wings and beveled rails from nose to wings. The wing location varies but about 22" from the tail is a good approximation, this creates a pivot point just aft of center. The board is meant to be surfed on the forward part ( the widest planing area). All direction changes can be performed while riding on the forward third of the board. Bertlemann, Buttons, & Mark Liddel were skateboarders in the 70’s and Ben developed a design that would allow these guys to transfer their skateboard moves from the concrete onto the faces of waves. I collaborated with Ben Aipa and have been riding the STING with single fin, C-5, and thruster confiqurations for the last 6 months. The thruster configuration (single fin worked best at Val’s Reef) seems to be working the best all around so far. A month ago I built myself a 6’7" 18" x 22"X 15.5" STING with 3/4" beveled rails. I deleted the fin box in the center and went with FCS forward and center.Iam using G-R fins forward and a G 1000 fin in the center, the bottom is very flat with Vee behind the center fin. This board builds great speed down the line and has worked well in knee to head high surf here on Oahu. As far as what conditions they work in, the STING design can be incorporated into any type of design surfboard. Check Hal Jepsen’s video “Super Session” for a great expose of Larry Bertlemann ripping on various sting designs. Ben Aipa is currently building STINGS from 5’8" to 10’0" and anywhere between and can be reached in Honolulu at 808-842-0822. Also Rick Hamon at RUSTY used to build mainland stings under the “Surfings New Image” label back in the 70’s. I first rode STINGS back in the 70’s and never really gave up on them, just evolved the concept and incorporated thruster, tri plane hull etc into the concept. Aloha, UNDERGROUND.
I saw the new Aipa sting on Oahu a couple of weeks ago and the local surfer said he loved it. The Kingfish, which is shaped here in the south bay, looks very similiar to the board I saw in Honolulu. Round nose, sting, etc. The Kingfish is touted as the shortboard for longboarders. Anybody have one? SteveA
Hey UNDERGROUND, Im quite curious to know who you are… FD
Hey UNDERGROUND,>>> Im quite curious to know who you are…>>> FD Foam Dust, I am just a backyard guy over on the east side… Looks like wer’e gonna get some surf today! Laters’ UNDERGROUND
Foam Dust, I am just a backyard guy over on the east side… Looks like > wer’e gonna get some surf today! Laters’ UNDERGROUND Cool…Im over in Pearl City. I just shape one or two a year, three if Im really busy…hehe. Seems everytime Ive seen Ben in the water, hed be riding a longboard stinger. He also swears by those curved FCS fins. My all time favorite surfer/shaper, still hot in the shaping bay and out in the surf. Yeah, I hear Sunsets 10ft. and still building. A bit too big for me though. FD FD
Hey Underground… Former Kailua boy here. I’ve ordered a mid-length stinger from Ben a few weeks ago and can’t wait til he ships it here to the mainland. I originally wanted a standard thruster set up but Ben convinced me to get a center box with outside FCS plugs - just to “mix it up” a bit! Question. When I saw Liddel and Buttons on the original stingers they surfed them from a forward position over the “stings” - I can understand that logic from a single fin perspective. But with a thruster - meant to be surfed more from the tail - is that limiting the advantages of the “stings”? As far as anyone thinking about ordering a board from Ben - be it a longboard, mid-length, sting, gun, whatever - do it! He’s always been a guy who has never rested on his past reputation or designs. Instead, the guy’s always been a “student” - constantly experimenting, learning, and evolving his boards. Plus Ben’s just one nice guy who doesn’t seem to care anything about your “ASP point ratings” or rep. He’s jazzed when people are jazzed on his designs/ideas. Check out his epoxy designs with Boardworks coming soon. Kanoa longboard, longboard stings, etc. Mahalo Underground, Mitch
You just gave me the starting point for my next board project. Can you give a bit more description on the rail bevel? What degree would you say the bevel lies if measured from the bottom? Thanks, Magoo
I saw the new Aipa sting on Oahu a couple of weeks ago and the local > surfer said he loved it. The Kingfish, which is shaped here in the south > bay, looks very similiar to the board I saw in Honolulu. Round nose, > sting, etc. The Kingfish is touted as the shortboard for longboarders. > Anybody have one? SteveA Actually have one for sale in the classified section…check it out. Great board, versatile, even good ridden as a single fin. I just shoulda gotten one a little longer; as a longboarder 7’ 2" felt too short for me.
Hey Underground…>>> Former Kailua boy here. I’ve ordered a mid-length stinger from Ben a few > weeks ago and can’t wait til he ships it here to the mainland. I > originally wanted a standard thruster set up but Ben convinced me to get a > center box with outside FCS plugs - just to “mix it up” a bit!>>> Question. When I saw Liddel and Buttons on the original stingers they > surfed them from a forward position over the “stings” - I can > understand that logic from a single fin perspective. But with a thruster - > meant to be surfed more from the tail - is that limiting the advantages of > the “stings”?>>> As far as anyone thinking about ordering a board from Ben - be it a > longboard, mid-length, sting, gun, whatever - do it! He’s always been a > guy who has never rested on his past reputation or designs.>>> Instead, the guy’s always been a “student” - constantly > experimenting, learning, and evolving his boards. Plus Ben’s just one nice > guy who doesn’t seem to care anything about your “ASP point > ratings” or rep. He’s jazzed when people are jazzed on his > designs/ideas. Check out his epoxy designs with Boardworks coming soon. > Kanoa longboard, longboard stings, etc.>>> Mahalo Underground,>>> Mitch Mitch, My Aipa STING is confiqured with a standard box in the center, and FCS plugs outboard. Some lessons learned; I wished I had gone with the longer box, Ben places the trailing edge of his center fin 3" up from swallowtail. This put the fin way behind the stings in the single fin confiquration. Not only did I have to retemplate (original 70’s Sting fin template) and foil a fin for the board but I had to do the old notch cut on the forward section of the base and reinstall the pin. I still can’t get the fin up forward on the tail as much as I wanted. In the thruster confiquration I started with G-R’s, but the tail wasn’t breaking free coming off the top. I resolved this by reducing center fin area with a G-1000 center fin. I have found that I have opened up my stance a little and that I am surfing over both the stings and the forward fins with the step bottom underneath me. This board is a 7’0" X 21" (I am 6’1" and 212lbs) mid-length? and soon became too much surfboard, so I built a 6’7" X 22" with no standard box and no step. Kinda big guy fish outline. I use it a lot at North Beach and it works very well in that type of conditions. I know you are going to enjoy your sting, let us know how it works out. Aloha UNDERGROUND.
You just gave me the starting point for my next board project.>>> Can you give a bit more description on the rail bevel? What degree would > you say the bevel lies if measured from the bottom?>>> Thanks,>>> Magoo sure, I’d say about 60’ at the sting, and softer up at the nose. I measured 3/4" in from the rails and made guide points with pencil, than aligned my template and drew out the bevel. The bevel edge along the bottom is pretty sharp until 12" from the nose where I softened it up. The boards dont lose energy out on flat spots of the wave, and at speed (planing) you are in effect riding a narrower bottomed board.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1573340083 Is this the kind of single fin used on stingers now, and should it be further up towards the sting or not? Thanks, Peter Rijk.
Hey Underground, On your 7’ 0" Aipa Sting…did Ben provide a center fin for you when you bought the board? He was going to send me a template of the fin he’s currently using so I can get it made here in the mainland. But, you know how that is…most fin manufacturers here in California don’t want to handle a custom order. I want to open the packing box and hit it as soon as I pick up the board from LAX…frustrating! Because Ben is a “smaller” manufacturer, I couldn’t find anyone who carried his fin designs on O’ahu when I was last there in July. Any suggestions? Thanks again for the last bit of info! Aloha, Mitch
Hey Underground,>>> On your 7’ 0" Aipa Sting…did Ben provide a center fin for you when > you bought the board? He was going to send me a template of the fin he’s > currently using so I can get it made here in the mainland.>>> But, you know how that is…most fin manufacturers here in California > don’t want to handle a custom order. I want to open the packing box and > hit it as soon as I pick up the board from LAX…frustrating!>>> Because Ben is a “smaller” manufacturer, I couldn’t find anyone > who carried his fin designs on O’ahu when I was last there in July. Any > suggestions? Thanks again for the last bit of info!>>> Aloha,>>> Mitch I have a 7’0" Freeline that was made in the early 70’s that’s nearly a stinger, it’s real good shape too. It has one of my first foam core fins glassed on and works great. I still take it out everyonce in a while. Anyway if you’d like a box fin made for your stinger I’d be glad to do it for you in any template, any size, any color. In any case I’d like to see the fin template Ben sends. His boards are hot! I saw one over at the glass shop a few weeks ago. It was a 7’8" swallowtail truster about 20" wide. It looked like a wonderful big wave board. Let me know if I can help out-- glad to send pictures of my work if your interested. reach me at Research and Development continues, Mahalo, Rich
Hey Underground,>>> On your 7’ 0" Aipa Sting…did Ben provide a center fin for you when > you bought the board? He was going to send me a template of the fin he’s > currently using so I can get it made here in the mainland.>>> But, you know how that is…most fin manufacturers here in California > don’t want to handle a custom order. I want to open the packing box and > hit it as soon as I pick up the board from LAX…frustrating!>>> Because Ben is a “smaller” manufacturer, I couldn’t find anyone > who carried his fin designs on O’ahu when I was last there in July. Any > suggestions? Thanks again for the last bit of info!>>> Aloha,>>> Mitch We found a dusty old fin from the 70’s in the factory, I templated it and bought a 8" Randy Rarick template fin. I set it up on the workbench and grinded away.
sure, I’d say about 60’ at the sting, and softer up at the nose. I > measured 3/4" in from the rails and made guide points with pencil, > than aligned my template and drew out the bevel. The bevel edge along the > bottom is pretty sharp until 12" from the nose where I softened it > up. The boards dont lose energy out on flat spots of the wave, and at > speed (planing) you are in effect riding a narrower bottomed board. Magoo, I got it #$! backwards last night, more like 30 degrees. Sorry for any confusion. UNDERGROUND
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1573340083>>> Is this the kind of single fin used on stingers now, and should it be > further up towards the sting or not? Thanks, Peter Rijk. Peter, I remember those types of fins from the 70’s, looks like a morph of the keel fin designs that were being played with at the time. When I see keel fins I think of round pins and point breaks. I dont think that fin would be the optimum choice on a sting unless you had a whole lot of wave going on. The stings work well with a minimum rake fin (kind of vertical) but the above described fin has way too much area from the base to the tip. Wish the board section was up. The best way to exploit the bottom foil & template is to install a box. Another trivia Sting fin tip, Bertlemann used to place rubber bands over the rear of the box slot, push the fin down in and secure the set screw. Flex under pressure? I don’t know, it was the 70’s.
Has Ben explained the advantages of using FCS Curved fins with his stingers? I have have heard mixed opinions regarding the curved fins. I personally like them in certain types of waves.
You guys rule! What do they mean about step-deck on a stinger? does it flex like a step deck longboard? How would this enhance performance? Sorry if I ask stupid questions…i am a rookie, and everybody has to start somewhere. thanks!