Asymmetric boards in Oz?
Doesn't Maurice Cole make em?
Not sure about others but I would think they're out there.
The Aussie shaper I most associate with asymmetrics is Allan Byrne. He did a lot of them in the mid to late-80s, though of course you'd be hard pressed to get one now. Vale AB. And yeah, I know he was actually a Kiwi, but if we're gonna claim Russell Crowe as an Aussie then we'll take AB too.
As Carpetman says MC has an asymmetric model, creatively named the 'Asymmetrical' (http://www.mauricecole.com/boards/). Curiously that board doesn't share many traits with 'typical' asymmetrics. For one, the rail length looks the same, or very close to it, on either side. Clearly there's a volume difference, the nose being wider on one side, so it would ride different from heel side to toe side.
Chris Garrett is doing assymmetrics through Deus in Bali but I expect they would be hard to come across, and also cost a fair bit too. For an experimental board that'd be enough to turn me off.
In the US Ekstrom has released a model through Surftech and it's a more orthodox looking asymmetric: the planshape is symmetrical until the last 12 inches or so where the heel side rail cuts in but the toe side extends. Unfortunately Surftech Australia don't stock it.
What are they supposed to do, ride different frontside to backside? Or meant for only going one way i.e right or left?
Interesting stuff!
In the mid 90's I raced those snowboard thingy's, which experimented in asymmetric designs, the point being that both feet were at such high angles, so the length of the edge from your back heel to the back of the board was the same as your back toe to the back of the board and like wise for your front foot to the front of the brd?.. You initiated turns quicker, as well not adjusting your upper body either forward or backwards to allow for the different length of edge. Then they started experimenting with side cuts which were different, ie heel side cut was deeper than toe side cut, whether or not the surf board shapers design different outlined edges, I'm not sure?....
This whole theory is fairly interesting, but like Stu said would you pay a lot of monies out to experiment on them.
I'd love to experiment with 'em if I could. Need a review Brutus?!
Bum P, the basic theory is/was that it's harder to turn off your heel side so asymmetric boards had a shorter heel side rail. The toe side rail is what you would normally ride. Seems the theory has been extended so that not only is one rail different from the other but one whole side of the board - planshape, volume, even fin configuration - is different from the other.
What was already a hazy, little-understood area of design is getting more so.
Hi Guys
haven't been in Oz for a few months now ..so out of the loop a bit..
Been making Asymetric Tow bds and surfboards for quite a few years.....for right handers.
Casey Egan from Torquay loves em,and I think he is one of the more creative surfers in Torquay..
Basically I make one side a gun side where you can do long turns and get heaps of drive ,and the "off The top " side has wider nose and tail and is meant to do shorter radius turns than the forehand side.
Fins are also asymmetric with the gun side having less angle , less camber and is at least a 1/2 " further up than the back hand side.......the backhand side fins are pointed at the nose and more camber so you can do supa tight turns off the top.
Also I use a straighter rail line on the bottom turn side,and tail kick/lift on the back hand......
hope this helps MC
Amazing stuff Brutus. When you get back to Oz I'd be keen for a further chat. Got me real curious now...
Thanks for the info and advice fellas.
I use to ride em and shape em in 80's and early 90's, and would be frothing to do a few more but most are too unsure to have a crack...always excited and open to shaping anything FUNctional....
Gary McNeill has just brought this out, no idea how it goes, sounds like it was one of Rasta's ideas
http://formulaenergy.com.au/formula-energy/ball-of-funk/
Check this post just published by Bob McTavish on his blog. Asymmetric shapes go back to the early 60s!
yeah, saw that last board on his blog at the new Deus shop in Byron. Looked functional, but you could buy a small car for what it cost.
You ridden an asymmetric Steve? If not, are you curious about 'em?
I keep coming back to the elemental truth that our stance on a board is asymmetrical so therefore symmetrical boards aren't suited. The only small hiccup being there's so many damn variables that matching an asymmetrical stance to an asymmetrical board could lead you further out onto the plank of confusion.
But still I keep coming back to it...
I haven't ridden one Stu, but I saw Ryan Burch the other day and he was raving about 'em. I mean he can literally rip on a square piece of foam but he reckons he's onto something.
the main thing putting me off it: he said they have to be dialed in for each rider. There's no mass consumption/one size fits all method. That could be a long and expensive process.
what family man's got time for that shit?
freeride76 wrote:they have to be dialed in for each rider.
Yep, that's enough to halt the journey before it starts. A custom or two a year - standard go to shortboards - are all this family man can fit into the budget.
will do one sometime soon-ish, money and time the issues.....
http://www.harveysurf.com/surfboards/asymmetricals/ Not many true master craftsmen left but Dick Harvey is one of them.
Your latest boards on your site look great Mr more.
So do those Harvey boards.
The Drive of a nice 8 inch keel on inside and quads (or is it twin) on the other would be great.
Would love to shape a board like this, although for first shape i think a mini Simmons seems like a really good easy board to shape for a first timer.
Doesnt seem like theres room for too many mistakes with shaping a mini Simmons, with the rocker pretty flat and all.
Also one blank might be enough for two of them.
Mates dad up the road days he will glass it for me as long as i watch and do it after that :)
Its the rails and rocker and glassing that scare me with shaping.
Be interesting if the really extreme asymmetrical boards paddle a bit scewiff or off balance.
Not intentionally asymmetrical, but I had a board with a filthy big lemon twist in it.
Went like a wonder-child front side.
Backside... notsomuch....
Joshua James from Sydney has been really pushing the boundaries of asymm's
Pirate Agenda went down that path ...
See here: https://www.facebook.com/272236079478954/photos/pb.272236079478954.-2207...
Does anyone know of shaper/s making asymetric boards here in Australia? Something like what Carl Ekstrom or Ryan Burch have been doing in the US, although maybe not as a far out as Burch's designs - fins are good.
I'm getting curious and keen to experiment.