Thursday, September 17, 2009   14 Comments

Often the most simplistic way to quantify NZ’s impact and place in the surfing world is how many surfers we’ve had in the world’s competitive arenas.

Unfortunately this has also tends to be one of the bleakest terms of qualification. Sure we’ve had some glimmers of greatness, Al Bryne posted a second at the Pipeline Pro in the early ‘80’s and has gone on to become one of the world’s most respected shapers. Iain ‘Ratso’ Buchanan similarly flew the Kiwi flag as an ASP professional in the mid 80’ and early 90’s, and he’s now the WQS European Head Judge. More recently Maz Quinn was our World Tour contender and WQS battler for over 10 years, we also now have Paige Hareb on the Women’s World Tour, and nothing should ever be taken away from these talented individuals’ stellar achievements. But as a whole, if that’s the way you’re going to quantify our nation’s impact; quite frankly, it’s pretty shithouse.


Josh Kerr ripping lowers on some Kiwi tech - Photo: ASP/ CI/ ROWLAND


Now, before you get all patriotic and start posting nasty comments please read on. While NZ is yet to fire as a nation of contest heads, we’ve done pretty nicely with surfing innovations and explorations. We’re the geeks at the bottom of the world who get hold of an idea and figure out how to make it better; it’s that old number 8 wire- can do- worth a crack mate, ethos that we pride ourselves on.

As mentioned before Al Byrne is regarded as one of the world’s best shapers, specifically he’s the man who took the concept of the six channel gun and refined the design to a piece of living art. Slater, Machado, Kong, Rabbit- the list goes on of who is who whom own a Byrning Spear. Rod Dahlberg is another fine example, the former Mountie’s board label and surname is forever associated with the legend Occy. Did you know that Kiwi’s figured out in the 50’s that polyester [PU] foam was better to use before the Aussies and Seppos did? 

And right now there could quite possibly be a quiet world wide revolution about to start tippling along from out of a West Auckland shaper’s stinky pit. You see, while there’s been an acknowledged and needed move towards more user and environmentally friendly materials like epoxy resin and polystyrene, the big problem is the epoxy boards don’t perform the same way a PU board does…to clarify, not necessarily worse, just not the same. It’s all about the density of the foam blank and the flex patterns and memory that each type of blank produce for the rider. You may have thought your board was a rigid stick, but it’s not designed to be so. Shapers take these flex patterns into consideration when they make your shooter. Ever had a lively magic board that dies??? Well that’s because over time the flex pattern changes and the foam lose its flex memory. Ok I’m apologising for filling you full of too much background info.

The point of all this is Glen Carkeek out at Primal Kumeu may well have cracked the epoxy nut, GC has figured out a manufacturing technique that gives epoxy boards the same performance values of PU boards…and figured out how to do it for a cost effective price. Big deal you shrug…is that where this blog was going and that’s it…. Piffffftt…well it would be just that, except the manufacturing concept aka Futurelite is getting picked up internationally, ohhhh and why did the blog start with a tenuous reference to the World Tour, well Rusty Team rider and World Tour surfer Josh Kerr is currently riding one of the boards in the Hurley Pro at Trestles…check out this blog, see how the bottom of the board has no stringer and has carbon running down the rails? Yep, that there is a Kiwi invention.


So GC what do you reckon this means for Primal/Futurelite and how do you feel about your innovation making the World Tour?

GC: “I have been trying to introduce the technology to the world for not much other reason than it goes really well.  (Jason Rodd) JR –Josh’s shaper is now a regular guest shaper to the factory. He will be here again late October. He saw the design and surfed one and recognised immediately there was a breakthrough.
He took some blanks and materials back to Oz to get his top team riders to test it. Josh Kerr is fizzing on the technology and the rest is becoming history.

On a commercial level the world takes notice of the top 44 riding new innovations. JR and his network are ordering bulk materials for the Japanese market and after this week most likely the worldwide market. Although the materials and production process is quite simple I have developed along with New Zealand companies a very high density EPS and a clear, fast epoxy resin. We know this is well ahead of anything available elsewhere. The advantage in NZ is that there are small companies that are prepared to R&D products for a small market and a lot of clever minds that can think outside the square.

This technology stemmed from looking at the whole epoxy revolution that was going on. The parabolic rail, sandwich construction and what seemed apparent to me drawbacks and design flaws in everything that was out there.

I dismissed everything and made a wish list of everything I thought we needed to make an EPS epoxy board ride well on all levels. The ol' ‘there has to be a better way’. And essentially the first concept was almost bang on.

At the moment it’s a bit of sit and wait to see where this goes. We already have formalised the Futurelite brand and in NZ Primal and Hughes surfboards are the official suppliers of the technology. In Australia JR surfboards is the supplier, Olon with some Japanese brands. He’s in the process of inviting selected brands to join the fold which is basically going crazy after the Trestles comp.

Pretty exciting stuff really, it would be nice to gain recognition for it and a bit of commercial success is always nice. There is scant reward for getting dusty for most of the surf industry.” -GC

Links --

PhotoCPL.co.nz / Check out a preview of CPL's new book 'Beached As'

Primalsurf.com / Find out more about Primal Futurelite

Josh Kerr warming up at Trestles - See the board in full flight
   

       

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