I’m glad somebody is enjoying our arcane discussion. "Definition’’ is one of those things that kinda runs
counter to the spirit of surfing, at least in it’s modern incarnation. The ancient Hawaiians apparently did
have names for different types/lengths of boards. I wonder if they sat around the fire and had spirited
discussions about which was which, and whether so-and-so was a butt-wiggler, etc…
somehow the pic of Duke, Rabbit and Tom Blake having said discussion does not come to mind…
lol.
I was thinkin’ more like pre-Captain Cook Hawaiians sittin’ around the fire, but your example works too.
Hey, I feel like stirring the pot a little… When are all you ‘‘measure-down-the-bottom-curve’’ types going to
start measuring width the same way? Then you’d have to go from rail apex to rail apex to get width?
(Just messin’ wicha, what I do is measure deckside M-W-F, on Tuesday and Thursday I do bottoms)
I hear ya on “historic” but thought I’d throw out our own modern version of the same…
but I like rail apex to rail apex, now my fat azzz 21.5 width wont look so bad…
Bassy, think of this, 47 inches, 21 middle width, leaves 26 inches to divide up between nose and tail, 14" nose, 12" tail, seems really narrow all the way around.
Any ASP judges lurking out there ?
I had the same thoughts on the dimensions. 14 N x 21 M x 12 T, sounds pretty gunny.
I think that other thanfor comps, a longboard is undefinable–it’s just 'Long" as campared to ‘short’ relative to the surfer i suppose. As i’ve gotten older my surfboards have grown out to 8’2" sorta an egg shape—and a heck of a lot of fun. isn’t that what its all about?
When I was first under he watchful eye of Tinker, he asked me why would I want to surf, my reply was it is fun.
Tinker told me that if potential customers weren’t having fun, they wouldn’t be back, so make sure to shape fun into each and every board.
Aloha BalsaBill,
Your quote: “I agree there is no such thing as a longboard. There are surfboards and there are short boards. No longboards.”
Amen…I’ve been singing the same tune for years. While we’re at it, I say there’s no such thing as a “fin” on a surfboard. Fins are on fish. Surboards have SKEGS not fins.
Longboards didn’t come into existance until 1968. Before that they were surfboards. Why such an emphasis on lenght. We don’t classify boards by width or thickness. Wide boards, narrow boards, thick ones and thin ones. Square tails, round tails, pin tails, etc. Hard rails, soft rails They all ride differently. Why not just call them all surfboards. There all fun anyway you look at it. For contest sake lets have “longboard” contests for boards that measure 9’ plus measured along the deck.
Your right it is awfully gunny…However I was correct since I just looked it up in the ASP rules for giggles.
Article 74: Board Requirements
74.01 Length is minimum 9 feet measured from the nose to tail
on the deck of the surfboard. Width dimensions to total
minimum 47 inches aggregate. This is the total of the widest
point, plus the width 12 inches up from the tail and the width
12 inches back from the nose.
© 2008 ASSOCIATION OF SURFING PROFESSIONALS (ASP) INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
54
74.02 Traditional long board Malibu shape to be used with use of
multiple fins and channels allowed
Bassy, think of this, 47 inches, 21 middle width, leaves 26 inches to divide up between nose and tail, 14" nose, 12" tail, seems really narrow all the way around.
Any ASP judges lurking out there ?
I think it was a short lived phase but
Joey was riding something like this
13.5 x 21.5 x 15.5
50.5" total
Lance Collins would know since He was shaping his boards back then…
You wont see to many of them around since they where glassed like shortboards yet more prone to break stretched
to 9’.
I know I should get a life…LOL
(progressive longboarding dork here, or at least was and admitting it).
I would like to congradulate all concerned
with a civil and yet spirited exchange
of information and
opinion.
a few things that come to mind
one of which from way back
how much is a fathom?
measured from finger tip of the wide spread
left hand to the opposite extended right hand finger tip
that was as I remember is at or about 6’
then as to the cubit
measuerd from the elbow to the finger tip
at or about 18’’
is a fathom composed of
4 cubits?
in old time boat building,
‘ping’ NOAH build me an ark *
right,whats an ark?,
a cubit was employed as a length measurement
a fathom was employed as a depth measurement
did the twain meet or were there other terms to extend the cubit
and divide the fathom?
with the finney scale from his book
alaia boarsa were under 11’
olo were over twelve
did this have anything to do
with the european knotted line
for measuring the fathom?
…ambrose…
no Im not building an ark
but mebe a tender without
a tape measure.
NOAH… who’s that.
this is a humorous image and one I wholeheartedly hope to be true.
is there anything better than sitting around the fire after a long day of surfing and razzing your
buddies over one thing or another?
"of course you caught the wave of the day, you were sitting way outside on that oversized
hunk of koa, you wave hog!"
I’m glad somebody is enjoying our arcane discussion. "Definition’’ is one of those things that kinda runs
counter to the spirit of surfing, at least in it’s modern incarnation. The ancient Hawaiians apparently did
have names for different types/lengths of boards. I wonder if they sat around the fire and had spirited
discussions about which was which, and whether so-and-so was a butt-wiggler, etc…
Great stuff. I agree, it is about how its surfed.
Curious isn’t it, board width doesn’t really change anywhere near as much across the different designs, from ‘long’ to ‘short’, or ‘short’ to ‘long’ (unless it’s one of those freakish novelties for the record books.) The point being it’s the presentation to the wave that matters.
There’s this (local) enormous fella that surfs a 10 foot plus board and never leaves the tail, or back half of the board - basically wherever he gets up first -i.e. doesn’t walk, not even an occasional shuffle. If you watch him, you’d see, once he gets going, there generally isn’t all that much of the bottom of his board that’s getting wet (really small waves aside.) He surfs great. No airs as yet, but who knows.
I don’t see the jargon changing, but your point is an excellent one. It would be something close to impossible to explain such a point to some newbie in a shop however, particularly since it would be unlikely they would know how they wanted to surf.
Excellent point, thanks.
kc
I’d have to say, no matter how tall you are, an 8’6 would be a longboard. An 8’0" is more like a funboard, especially for a guy who’s over feet tall.
My last board I shaped myself in Hawaii in the summer of 1964 was 21 - 1/2" x 14" nose x 13" tail, piggy outline, width way behind center, but at Ala Mo’ I still clocked plenty of tip time, was it a nose rider, no
Yeah but was it a long board?
I didnt start this one.
Pic of Joey covered…on a LB