WIDE POINT BACK.WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS?
My opinion, which is not very qualified, is that you will catch waves easier and have more drive. Do you remember the Lazor Zap or the early eighties? It was a trip. I rode one once and it was fun, but that was when I was a young kook. Now I’m just an old kook [smile]
WIDE POINT BACK.WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS? Don’t know anything about lazor zaps, other than I would like to ride one, but typically a wide point further back toward the tail will make the board want to be driven from the tail and will be more responsive from the tail. Which, if you are use to it, is good. The con it takes away from paddling a bit. Wide point forward is just the opposite, you gain some paddling power (you have more foam under your chest) but they are a bit sluggish from the tail. I’m sure there are a few exceptions to this, but this is the general rule.
the less nose area(less than 11"), the more vertical or even past vertical your approach to the lip can be, and as said before, makes you a back foot surfer.
I don’t know what lenght board you are talking about. I recently shaped a 9’1", 16"n, 14 1/2"t, 23" in the center, rounded pin egg shape. I wanted board that turned well in our East coast surf. most modern longboards have the wide point ahead of center. the narrower nose with the wide point in the center I find myself paddling further back on the board. This is fine because when I get to my feet I am in the right place on the board for the first turn. One step forward then I am in the middle where I do most of my riding. I also have an 80’s model fat twin fin with the wide point way behind center. This board turns on a dime but has almost no drive at all.
Having the wide point back is known as a pig shape. The classic performance board. Dale Velzy made came up with this one by accident. With the wide point back, the board is looser in the tail and harder, almost impossible, to turn from the mid section forward. With the wider hips and smaller nose this style board is a perfect noserider in fast, steep face waves around 2’-5’. The downside to having the wide point back is that the tail tends to slide out when doing a powerful bottom turn. Having the wide point back on a shortboard will give it that really loose feel for high performance surfing. If you look at the shortboards that are being shaped for Joel Tudor you’ll see that they have the wide point back because this design is a good way to loosen up a single fin.
The true Mccoy Lazor Zaps really had wide point dead center. The over wide tails gave them the appearance of behind center. Mccoy solved the tail spinning out problem with his round bottom and soft rails everwhere but the last four inches of the tail for release. Contact Mccoy at mccoysurfboards.com he has his E mail on the sight(which is very very informative)and he returns his e mail. The modern Lazor Zap is the Mccoy nugget with a wider nose than the old Zaps. Same basic planeshape though. I have a longboard with the wide point slightly behind center and it rides almost like a shortboard.
A lot of women are taking on this shape as well. See, a woman should be like a 70s pintail, narrow in the rear with a lot up top. But often, as they get older,they get that Lazor Zap look. It’s a real shame. [smile]
Not tolerated in my house,but I know what you mean.
THANKS FOR ALL THE INFO GUYS.THINKING OF A 10 FOOTER THAT WILL TURN FROM THE MIDDLE AND TAIL,NOSERIDE WELL WITHOUT BEING A NOSERIDER .EARLY ENTRY ROCKER(LOW TO MED.),I WEIGH 220 ,WHAT DIMENSIONS DO YOU SUGGEST? LAZOR’S ARE A DISTANT MEMORY.
I am 6’1’’ 230 so I can relate. Mccoy nuggets made a huge difference my shortboarding. I can go as small as 6’8’‘. 14.3/4 21.5 17round tail, go single on the nugget. Loose as a goose. For Longboards Steve Forstall makes a 10’ epoxy that rides like a much shorter board.
Atom Tan, You mentioned Steve Forstall, do you live in FL? The reason I asked is that you also mentioned a McCoy nugget. Where did you get one in FL. I have been wanting to get one but there is no way I’m ordering one directly and have it shipped. Just wondering if you knew of anyone in the state who sells them?
Yes I live in Florida. I lived in California for 5 years awhile ago. I Get Mccoys from Mccoy. I have been friends with Geoff and Cheyne for a few years. You can trust Mccoy to do what he says he will do, but shipping will be around 100-200 dollars from oz. Well worth the money and the wait of 6 to 8 weeks. I have two shapers here who can do a close cousin to the nugget, but Mccoy is really the only one who does a real nugget. His bottoms and rocker are uniquely his own. For performance longboards stall is the one of the best. In California call Greg Pautsh for Zap type boards.
how do i get in touch with steve forstall ?
321-676-5307 Steve Forstall.
Atom Tan- I have a super-old mccoy single fin in my garage… was a friends, and i fixed it up to ride. around 7’ tall, 22 wide, and 3" thick. wide point forward of center, and roundpintail. only markings on it other than the mccoy lam, and airbrushing, is a “777” on the stringer, im guessing a serial number. i would assume that it wasnt meant to say ‘LLL’, but i could be wrong. any idea as to how old this board REALLY is?? i must say, it is super fun to ride. having problems with cavitation on the fin, since i had to basically rebuild the front edge of it with resin…
Email Mccoy from his websight. Mccoysurfboards.com he will know. It could be a Greg Pautsh, but he started with Mccoy a little later than that I think. I would love to see the board. I also buy old Mccoys. Larry Blair used to ride boards like that.
thanks man! i wouldnt sell it, since its not mine to sell, and i do enjoy riding it anyways who knows how long its been since its been in the water since i took it out, and i think it was QUITE happy to be out there :]
Who does Steve Forstall shape for (label?)?
Stall’s personal label is called Coda. He has shaped boards for Hic,Nirvana,and done a few Q stix. He also did some boards for Cheyne Horan. Danny Melhado won the brazilian open on one.