Next Gen Alaia Hybrid

The next model of the alaia hybrids in currently in progress and is looking beautiful! similar to the Edddy Sled it is 6'1 by 19' by 1' however the rails have been pinched in a little more with more continues flow through to a gentle swallow tail. This board will be finnished in the next week or so - stay tuned for photos.

New Model - Eddy Sled

Just a quick update on the newest model named The Eddy Sled - 1st prototype is 6'1 by 19' by 1'. It is a parabolic design with tiny red ceder keels and a square tail. It is sealed with linseed oil/gum turpentine and bees wax. The first prototype was built here in Australia and I took her over to Chile to test her out in some long peeling point breaks, unfortunately the surf I had over there was not ideal, but the board still worked really well. To cut a long story short I ended up surfing at Renaca, a heavy, punchy, beach break in central Chile. The Eddy Sled paddled slightly better than a regular alaia, due to the increased buoyancy from the added length width and improved directional control from the mini keels. The real high point however, is the fact that in overhead heavy and hollow waves, this alaia hybrid held in really well. It is still loose enough to pull out a few sliding 360's, but plenty of hold when you need it most. I really loved building and surfing this board and so does her new owner, a Chilean bloke named Edwardo. I'm about to finish off another board very similar to this but with a swallow tail for a slightly snappier feel. Enjoy the photos and any queries just drop me an email. Cheers James

New Beginnings

This weekend I picked up my latest batch of Paulownia from David at Port Phillip Plantation Shutters. This my first batch of timber from David and it is very good quality with almost no knots and only the slightest bow in one of the planks - it will be easiest to work with yet. David was exceptionally helpful and his knowledge of paulownia from seeds to surfboards is impressive! The next two boards will be destined for trip to Chile. I am looking to build two alaia hybrids - around 6ft long by 19' by 1'. They will both have twin tiny keel fins and parabolic rails. The idea is to keep the epic speed, glide and the controlled sliding of my regular alaia, but adding the keels and parabolic rails I am hoping that this board will hold in larger hollow surf. The previous alaia hybrid was a blast to ride especially when the waves were overhead, but it is too heavy for a trip overseas and also required a lot of timber to build. So I have drastically reduced the volume of this design, which will make it harder to paddle and catch waves, but hopefully will still retain the hold, speed and glide characteristics. I'll post a series on the build process once they're complete and performance diary from the Chile trip. Enjoy the waves!

Awesome shapes!

Thomo's designs are really inspiring! Good to see him starting to get his name out there.

Design Ideas

I will be building a few more boards over the coming months. I'm thinking I'll do a twin fin fish about 5'7 by 21'  with a simmons outline and alaia hull a lot lighter and looser than the previous version and almost as fast. The other board(s) will probably be alaias/paipos... Any other ideas or requests please shoot them through.

Cheers
James

2 boards leave the nest...

Just posted off two of my treasured hollow wooden boards to Jan in Northern NSW. I'm hoping and praying they survive the courier trip, I couldn't have jammed any more bubble wrap into the board bag, but still wont feel comfortable until I know they are safely delivered and out in the water...
Its always hard saying good bye to something you have poured so much time, thought and effort into, but I am sure Jan and his boys will love them, and I know the boards will love the variety of waves and warm water up there!

Enjoy Jan!

Riding and Sliding - Alaia's coming soon

I just had an amazing lunch hour session on the alaia. For those of you who are unfamiliar with these weird looking ironing boards, the alaia is a flat wooden board rediscovered by Tom Wegener and based on the ancient Hawaiian boards. These boards are challenging to ride at first, but are well worth the wipe outs. Once you have them wired, I can honestly say they are the funnest boards for those small clean days. Super smooth and fast, you carve on your rail, pull 360’s at will (and sometimes even when you don’t mean it!) and generally surf waves that not even the Mals can. Check out this clip for some ideas (http://vimeo.com/15613970)

They are pretty thin (normally under 1.5 inches thick), about 5-7ft long, and around 17-19 inches wide. They are commonly built with a rolled nose through to a tri-planning hull with a single or double concave through back third of the board. With a fairly straight outline and knife sharp rails they are total speed machines.

I made from Paulownia with red wood stringers. It has been snapped three times, glued back together and re-shaped twice, and it is a blast to ride!

They are simply oiled and are totally eco-friendly. Give me a bell if you are interested – I’ll be building some new alaias when I place the next timber order, prices will start at about $250.