Peninsula livin' with Purcho - video

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Swellnet Dispatch

This year, like every other, Neal Purchase Jnr skipped town when the winter chills kicked in. Shut the shaping bay, brushed the studio, and headed for Indo where he posted up on the Bukit, a fleet of Duo's stowed underarm.

For a short time in the early 70s boards were made with a similar fin config, so NPJ can't be credited as inventor, yet he's adopted the parallel twin as his own particular experiment. More than anyone, Neal has been probing and refining the settings, blending the curves, advancing the mix of old and new.

The board he's riding here is a stringerless 6'0 x 21 x 2 1/2 Duo.

Click to win your own brand new Neal Purchase Jnr-shaped Duo.

Vid courtesy of Rhythm.

Comments

mywave's picture
mywave's picture
mywave Tuesday, 26 Sep 2017 at 9:37am

I love the music in this clip but why does Neal drop in so much? 1:06 and 1:33.
Does shaping your own copy allow this unethical behaviour?

joeyjojo's picture
joeyjojo's picture
joeyjojo Tuesday, 26 Sep 2017 at 1:42pm

Has a habit of the oll burn our purcho does!
Not all love, beards and acoustic guitars; but then there's a lot of guys that are nice on land but assholes in the water!

crg's picture
crg's picture
crg Tuesday, 26 Sep 2017 at 9:58am

I remember as a grom watching NPJ around the Goldy points just surfing sooo smooth and absolutely to this day the best backhand tube riding I've ever seen.
I don't see that on these boards at all. Looks like they have a good hold and bite in the wave for a twin but any turns are short and abrupt...cutting off any flow and drive on the rail line. I've never ridden one; and watching this, can't see myself rushing out to try one.

abc-od's picture
abc-od's picture
abc-od Tuesday, 26 Sep 2017 at 10:02am

Strange to include the dropins, unless there was nothing in it? Mates or a payback, or just messing about. Hard to categorise the performance of those boards, like a bit more projection than a single, can also glide a bit higher, but not capable of snaps like a twin. All about the feelz I guess.

Ash's picture
Ash's picture
Ash Tuesday, 26 Sep 2017 at 10:31am

Neal surfs forward a bit towards the center and with a slightly narrower stance, which makes it hard to tell how his boards would react under a wider stance with the back foot hard on the tail. But maybe that's because it's a bit hollower on the track and he wants to get the tubes on offer.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Tuesday, 26 Sep 2017 at 3:19pm

Would anyone dare to put NPj setup of two finboxes and two large fins in there current high performance thruster for a test ?

drodders's picture
drodders's picture
drodders Tuesday, 26 Sep 2017 at 3:31pm

Hey Udo, I have given my Puddle Jumper to a local surf shop to put in a pair of boxes. Will see how it goes, as for a HPSB not sure I think the two fins would want to be 5.5" or smaller...I am seriously contemplating a 6'8 or 6'10 desert storm with a Duo set up and a wider area pin as a travel board, put thruster plugs in just in case...
Crg the Duo's really love a long drawn out turn, think Neal is showing he can keep one in the pocket, not just race off down the line.

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Tuesday, 26 Sep 2017 at 4:01pm

Not really making me want to rush out and buy one this clip

sbsb's picture
sbsb's picture
sbsb Tuesday, 26 Sep 2017 at 11:08pm

I grew up surfing around Neal and he was never afraid of a burn. A very influential surfer for me though I agree with the above that this clip does not show off the boards, even an old bloke like myself is not inspired.

Optimist's picture
Optimist's picture
Optimist Wednesday, 27 Sep 2017 at 6:04am

I burnt him by accident very badly on a bomb on the Gold Coast one day. Until now I felt bad about it. That board looks a bit dodgy but maybe OK in a straight line.

poo shooter's picture
poo shooter's picture
poo shooter Thursday, 28 Sep 2017 at 8:13pm

here here looks as though she is a piece of rubbish

Trollntroffpig's picture
Trollntroffpig's picture
Trollntroffpig Wednesday, 27 Sep 2017 at 1:22pm

All form and no content. The popularity of these neo-retro designs sits an odd contrast with the aggressive, hyper individualistic vibe that so many of these 'old skool' enthusiasts display. All about the flow man: excuse me while I fade you into the white water. Might be a nice bloke but there is really no excuse for the blatant drop ins. And the board looks a bit of a lemon tbh.

PCS PeterPan's picture
PCS PeterPan's picture
PCS PeterPan Wednesday, 27 Sep 2017 at 5:39pm

With utmost respect for NPJ , these clips make me think he may have a crook lower back.
I love the flow of some of his designs but these seem lacking . Harsh crowd comments but "MEH" , I'd place an order for one of his Twinzers at a heartbeat.

hovercraft's picture
hovercraft's picture
hovercraft Wednesday, 27 Sep 2017 at 8:09pm

I've ridden a few NPJ boards and the boards encourage you to take that stance. Not sure why but they do. Try to get back on a regular tri fin after, tough for the first few rides.

The guy rips. Even if he is a drop in king.

memlasurf's picture
memlasurf's picture
memlasurf Thursday, 28 Sep 2017 at 1:33pm

Yep agree with all the above: No flow, catches rails, doesn't seem to be carving...a real woofer. MR on one of his looks heaps smoother, even with his dodgy knees. Go out to rack tracks and any of the locals would look so much better you couldn't compare the two. Made Lana is one of the smoothest out there and he rides a pretty stock thruster and I haven't seen him drop in on anybody. This guy seems to have a real habit of it. Is he related to Dingo?

poo shooter's picture
poo shooter's picture
poo shooter Thursday, 28 Sep 2017 at 8:07pm

mate he's past it... VERY limited style, half the turns my 3 legged kelpie could do cleaner. hes surfing like a turd burgler in this clip. nothing worse than some bighead dropping in on learners then surfing the wave like happy gilmores grandma! weak effort

eat-your-vegies's picture
eat-your-vegies's picture
eat-your-vegies Friday, 29 Sep 2017 at 1:06am

Just rewatched it.
Board has got some flow about it. Just not alot of bight or snap or something. Be fun at the track just going down the line.

I guess george greenough was right , the closer you move the fins together the more it will surf like a single fin..... or watever

chook's picture
chook's picture
chook Tuesday, 3 Oct 2017 at 9:46am

so i'm not the only one that thinks of greenough when they see two fins set close together...

lukas's picture
lukas's picture
lukas Monday, 2 Oct 2017 at 5:50pm

what kind of tail was on that board? 21 inches wide is for a mal, or a heavy bloke. my small/ summer, wave boards vary from 18 & a half, to 19 & 3 quarters....( i like them abit wider, from time ta time ), but i don't weigh as much as Purcho. a puddle basha ,..... that's a fair call.

Mdks's picture
Mdks's picture
Mdks Tuesday, 3 Oct 2017 at 8:02pm

It's not a great clip, all respect to NPJ though. I think he brings new light to the table which keeps things alive.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Saturday, 7 Oct 2017 at 4:07pm

Drodders is that your board on Third degree burns insta ?

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Wednesday, 22 Nov 2017 at 9:01am

Drodders ....Puddle Jumper Duo ride report ?

kavachi's picture
kavachi's picture
kavachi Wednesday, 22 Nov 2017 at 1:37pm

Puddle Jumper Duo? WTF??