Let there be
light SUP Glow + light-er boards
Holiday Gift guide merry christmas
Mark payne’s of 2014 + best page 32
06 December 2014
| DECEMBERp.2014 spot-light: candice appleby p.www.boardersmag.com 53 | sean cummings 75
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LET THERE BE LIGHT In April 2013, two time world champion and world record holder for kneeboarding and hydrofoiling, Billy Rossini, founded a new way to get on board after hours by launching the Nocqua Adventure Gear line and its first product the Nocqua 2000. Billy devised and perfected the world’s only adjustable LED waterproof light system for both standup paddle boards or kayaks and today over 4,000 Nocqua systems have been put on the water worldwide. Paddling at night with the water glowing at your feet is a fresh approach to paddle sports because it is exciting, safe and attractive to water life. Now paddling at night is safer too because other boaters can see you better and you can
also see what’s going on underneath your board. One of the secrets to fishing at night is attracting fish with lights, think about the advantage of using Nocqua high powered LED lights. For the booming SUP industry this meant the birth of “SUP Glow” tours worldwide and today there are over 100 tour operators who are extending their rental hours into the evening. Finally a chance to get on board after hours and more possibilities for paddle outfitters and customers from on board fireworks shows to eco and wildlife tours.
Photo Courtesy of Nocqua www.boardersmag.com | DECEMBER 2014 21
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best of
2014 Wake Surfing Article and Photos by: Mark Payne
While the photo above certainly won’t win any awards, it did jump out at me as a reminder of the diverse locations wake surfing takes us during the year. This picture is from early in the 2014 season at the Supreme Wake Surf Championship in 36
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The 2014 competitive wake surfing season wrapped up in Las Vegas at the World Wake Surfing Championships in late September. It was the exclamation point on what was a fantastic year of wake surfing behind various brands of boats cranking out killer waves at venues all across the United States and abroad. As a hobbyist photographer I enjoyed shooting photos of the athletes, spectators and, at times, the landscape at the different venues. And although I would have loved to make it to all the events, my “day job” had other plans for me. Nevertheless, we attended a good number of competitions and thinking back through the year there were so many great memories and new friends from the wake surfing community. Perusing my collection of shots that numbers in the thousands, I came across many photos of athletic excellence, rider camaraderie, cool boats, sweet boards and family and friends having a blast in our great world of surfing inland waves. Photographs of big air and technical tricks I have plenty of. For this wrap-up, I thought I would pull out a few photos that caught my attention for other reasons.
Parker, AZ. You’d be hard pressed to find a photographer that doesn’t like to shoot out West. There’s nothing like the golden hours in the desert!
There is a lot more than just wake surfing going on at a wake surf contest. And this picture is just one example. Mike La Macchia proves in the photo on the left that he isn’t just a good wake surfer, he has some mad Frisbee skills too! This competition was the Lake Anna Wake Surf Open in Virginia.
Above is Angie Viland with a killer double grab at the Lake Anna Wake Surf Open. This venue had a great dark backdrop making the colors pop and subjects stand out in contrast.
For this picture we’ll bounce back across the country to the “left” coast. This is Raleigh Hager going really big during a pre-comp session for the NWWSA Wake Surf Open in Monroe, WA. This 38
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shot caught my eye because of the perspective of being right behind her. Even from the opposite side of the wave, it’s obvious just how high Raleigh gets above the lip.
by Tyler Marshall
Into the Shaping Room
To go along with the lights theme in this issue I wanted to feature an article about a growing trend in the industry and amongst consumers, which is towards light-er boards. Shaper Brock Dumoit of Doomswell stands by his motto, “don’t surf a brick” and consumers too are convinced that lighter boards are better. Meanwhile shapers like Joe Bark believe in finding that sweet spot, or the right balance between weight and performance. The characteristic of lightness is far from being the most important part of a board and good shapers would agree that design is the most vital. Stronger and lighter has been a goal for manufacturers and shapers and materials like carbon fiber, kevlar and bamboo have emerged on the scene. So what are the advantages of lighter boards? Are they faster? Has durability been compromised? Stronger and lighter materials, does this mean more expensive boards? Why don’t we just hear for ourselves . . . www.boardersmag.com | DECEMBER 2014
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Taylor Rambo: Riviera Paddlesurf “Lighter Boards give you a bit of an edge in performance whether you are racing or SUP Surfing. The most important factor in a performance SUP however is shape... If the design isn’t there, it isn’t going to matter how light your board is.” “In SUP racing you can accelerate up to that race pace, after a buoy turn, or at the start a split second quicker... Whether it’s 1-3-4 strokes quicker, it could mean 1 board length or 100 yards at the end of a race.” “The disadvantages of having a light board is they can become less durable the lighter they are. Finding that balance between performance and durability is what we strive for with every board in our line. Some boards we lean towards durable, and some boards we lean towards performance.”
Nick Wiersema: chaos surf Company
“Wakesurfers have been trending thicker over the past 4-5 years as aerial surfing has progressed”
Why lighter? Is there a happy medium? Custom versus mass produced boards. Advantage of lighter boards? “Lightness, what is it and is this board lighter than that board? Typically, people pick up a board off a rack and will comment wow that is light or wow that feels heavy. Here’s the thing though, the human interpretation of ‘light’ is not necessarily a good estimation of actual weight or mass. How we interpret whether a board feels light is really about the size of the board and the distribution of volume/mass. Two boards of identical weight might feel completely different in the hands of a rider due to the board’s overall size and mass distribution. Typically speaking a larger board with more volume will feel lighter than a smaller board, when they are of equal weight. For wakesurfing this is most evident if you pick up a 5 lb surf-style board and a 5 lb skim-style board. The skim-style board is going to feel heavier in your hands. The 5 Pound Rule. Your average hi-performance surfboard and wakesurfer float around this 5 Pound Rule, plus or minus a few ounces to a pound. More plus than minus. Why is that? There are a lot of potential reasons, but in general, it is an artifact of size and materials. In the case of your typical competition surfstyle wakesurfer the board is going to be in between 4’5” and 4’10” in length with a maximum width between 19.5 and 22”, and maximum thickness of 1.5 to 2.0.” This gives you volumes from around 20 liters to all the way up towards 28 liters. Shorter boards are generally for shorter riders and these boards also tend to be wider and possibly thicker (shorter riders do not necessarily weigh less than taller riders). Wakesurfers have 42
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been trending thicker over the past 4-5 years as aerial surfing has progressed. Small additions to thickness and width have a greater effect on volume than small additions in length, all things considered equal. Volume will be the primary limiting factor in the finished weight of a board, again all things considered equal. Are lighter boards better? Yes, no, maybe. A lightweight board will have a tendency to release better and stay under a surfer’s feet when above the lip of the wave. In my experience, most riders like a lighter board, but this is not necessarily due to weight, but potential other factors like flex and feel. The feel of a board is a combination of flex and the vibrations felt through the board from the wave. Many construction types dampen these vibrations and stiffen boards rendering them nothing more than dead planes, plowing through the water.”
Mark Raaphorst
Sandwich island composites “The few pounds one has to propel forward the less effort a paddler needs to put into their stroke. This results in fatigue kicking in later and better sprinting ability. Saying this, what is often forgotten in this equation is the paddler’s own weight. If a paddler weight is 180 lbs. and the board is 20 lbs., simplistically speaking, the board is about 10 % of the total weight to be propelled forward. Hypothetically speaking, if the board is 10 lbs. heavier at 30 lbs., total weight to be propelled becomes 210 lbs. The difference between 200 and 210 lbs. is 5%.
“Light boards have less inertia. They get going easier, but also slow down faster.”
with builder’s challenge of use of these products drive up prices. The required margins of brand owners, distributor, wholesalers and retailers all escalate and so the board that is $100 more expensive to build will often reach the customer at an increased price tag of $500. This is the nature of global manufacturing. What my crew strives for is tight manufacturing on all levels and in every step. Every step in board construction increases the weight and there are about twenty steps to it, so saving a few ounces out of every step without scarfing strength is the key; a sloppy fin box route job, thick resin while laminating, thick hot coats, unnecessary volume distribution in the shape, un-sophisticated hardware design are just some of the enemies.”
Going lighter with less volume is possible with a lighter core density, hollow construction or more high-end composites. The only downside is the cost of high-end composites like carbon, or plastic composites like Innegra, Kevlar and Spectra combined
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Dominic Lagace “My new pro model is even better, lighter, more responsive and I can go bigger�
Photo: Marina Lopez 44
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TODD JOHNSON CUSTOMS “THERE IS NO BETTER THERE IS ONLY DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS! Just like all characteristics of a wake surf board, the boards weight depends on the surfers style and the conditions of the wind and wave. When I went to my first pro contest I was amazed that the best wake surfers in the world only ride one model no matter the conditions. Competing for the last three years, and seeing the different conditions behind different boats I am even more convinced that a wake surfer should have a quiver of boards. Polyurethane is what most surfboards have been made from for decades. Poly is a little heavier than EPS but has really good flex, giving the board lots of drive, perfect for big power turns. Lets say I’m building a 4’3” for a young rider who is light but has, or wants to have, a powerful surfing style. I’m not worried about weight on such a small board and would choose poly for its flex and drive as well as durability. Now let’s say a 250 pound man wants to throw 360s and airs and rip it up with his kids. I want to make him a board that’ll float him and be durable but still be light and responsive. In this situation EPS is the better material because I can make him a shorter thinner board that still give the flotation he needs without sacrificing speed and maneuverability.”
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As a competitive sport emerges, it is usually not long before an über-talented athlete dramatically separates his or herself from the rest, a lead wolf. The rest of the pack knows that, if they want to lead, their only option is to merely follow and hope the lead wolf stumbles. These athletes tend to leave a legacy behind - a seemingly unbeatable list of accomplishments. Golf has Tiger Woods. Swimming has Michael Phelps. Snowboarding has Shaun White. Skateboarding has Tony Hawk. Ocean surfing has Kelly Slater. And SUP racing has Candice Appleby. Non-surfing pack leaders tend to loose their top status after one stumble, while their surfing counterparts tend to rebound and return better than ever. What is it about a surfer that allows them to rebound into greatness? We turn to Candice Appleby to find answers. Competitive SUP racing is in its infancy. Events and ranking systems remain fragmented, leaving world rankings up to a lot of interpretation and debate. However, there is Battle of The Paddle - the world’s largest SUP race, seven years running. BOP has become an unofficial World Championship for SUP racing. It is the ultimate test for paddle boarders,
Candice Appleby by Alex Brost, Photos by Chuck Tuna
where all the biggest names in SUP compete on the most technically demanding course in paddle boarding. Every year, the event puts athletes through multiple laps on a hell-on-water course that goes in and out of the surf zone of Dana Point, California. BOP is a Mecca for paddler boarders. Some make the pilgrimage to compete, many more journey to BOP to experience the vibe of hundreds of SUP brands and athletes on one beach, and everyone stays to witness the carnage resulting from hundreds of paddle boarders trying to make it through the surf-zone on 12’6” race SUPs.
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John Mommer
John Mommer
John Mommer
John Mommer
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Jordan Wolfe
Brandon Tollie
“Crowds gathered in any direction; all watching the competition on the nearest flat screen or on the giant movie screen next to the dock. It was like a dream. Everyone was there. I found myself just cheering on whoever was surfing, as we all shared the desire to just simply see the best tricks by skim or surf style riders and big names like Keenan Flegel and Ashley Kidd. The championship only reinforced the idea that this is a community of people who want the best from each other.�
-Sean Reavis
wORLD WAKE SURFing CHAMPIONSHIP
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DECEMBER 2014 www.boardersmag.com Photos by| Tim Walker / Danny
Braught
Chris Banks
Ashley Kidd
Zane Montgomery
Danny Braught and Sean Cummings
Congratulations
to
the
man
behind
World’s
who
is recognized this year as Wake Surfing’s Person of the Year. Since day one Todd Gaughan (right) has done more to grow the sport of wake surfing than he would admit. It all started with his passion for the sport in Texas nearly a decade ago. With all of the athletes being awarded it is nice to have industry leaders like Todd Gaughan in the spotlight. There would be no World Championship on Lake Las Vegas without this man. He has pushed the sport to unbelievable heights and we look forward to a bright future guided by his passion.
Jimmi Sparling www.boardersmag.com | DECEMBER 2014
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lighting the way “Finding my Sweet Spot” By Sean Cummings
Inland Surfer since day one, new Centurion team manager and recently featured in the iPhone 6 commercial, Sean Cummings, aka Dolla Dolla Bill, has lead the way in the past decade amongst wakesurfing athletes. Through promotion of the sport, his travels, private lessons and clinics he has not stopped being and living the inland surfer lifestyle and in 2014 he has hit the sweet spot by taking third place at World’s in the sport’s most competitive lineup since it started.
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james walker Photo: Tim Walker
Picture Perfect: Capturing the Moment.
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Lake Las Vegas – World Wake Surfing Championship
James Walker with a surf style front shuv at the 2014 World Wake Surfing Championship. James has amazing style when throwing his shuvs and has been a force in progressing new tricks achievable now on wake surf boards like his signature Flyboy models. Meanwhile Tim Walker is there at the right moment and the right time to get up close and personal.
Boise river wave
Josiah Ness
Boise River Park Boise, Idaho
The Boise River Park is a river surfing, kayaking and SUP destination you do not want to miss. The park features in-river drops, chutes, and one of the most technologically advanced river waves to date via the patented WaveShaper technology built by McLaughlin White Water Design. Here you can see Ryan Ricardo with his laptop out adjusting the shape of the wave as local pro surfer Christopher Peterson airs out over the green wave lip.
Photo: Josiah Ness
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UNTIL THE LAST LIGHT
Danny Braught and myself headed out on an epic road trip to Florida where we met up with several athletes like Keenan Flegel, Boarders Magazine supporters like Waters Edge SUP and industry videographers like Cody Law. Being the Region 12 champ I went out to race in the WPA Championships at St. Pete Beach while Danny helped run and market the US Open in Orlando. Following the 8 mile distance race on Sunday I drove back to Orlando and met up with Danny here following his photo shoot with the Erie Wake team. The day was complete when, just before sunset, we decided to drive around the lake where we discovered this sacred spot. It was Sunday, God’s day, and we had found this perfect place, so we whipped out the boards, took some pictures and enjoyed the glide. A moment to reflect, until the last light. -TM 86
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