New Race Board
January 3, 2009 · Print This Article
Some time ago there was a somewhat heated challenge on the StandUp Zone (the most active forum in the SUP world: http://www.standupzone.com) regarding the notion that a long hulled racing board with an average paddler on it could beat an elite paddler on a 12 foot board. In the course of the debate (I favored the long hulled board) I wound up buying the board in question.
I know you might have some trouble making that jump. All I can say is that you kind of had to be there. But I’m thrilled with the outcome. There is now an amazingly zooty-looking 18′8″ 572 Penetrator making it’s way to Maui with my name on it.
My “ownership” of this board is kind of a debatable concept. There’s already quite a queue of people ready to use it for a day or three, and it’s being spoken of as sort of community property that I’ll be storing. That’s a fine thing. I’m looking forward to sharing this thing. I just want to pat it at night and perhaps wax it now and then to preserve the shine.
Should be here on my Birthday, or thereabouts. I plan to paddle it 62 miles the first few days (NO, I’m not going to try to do that in a single day) to celebrate.
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Bill – How is the “toe turn?”
The jury is still out. Right now I’d say it destabilizes me too much, but I may get used to it. It’s fine on left turns because it pushes your balance outwards on the board, but on right turns you are shifting your weight towards the centerline at the same time that the board is turning, which is unsettling.