Surfing Mag: Gear Guide 2009

rascal ii (check me out)

In a nutshell…..

it’s more versatile, faster and looser; skates though the flats quicker, and surfs tighter and more responsive in the pocket than ever before.

full shaper description…

Yes, you guessed correctly; the Rascal II is an offspring of the original Lil’ Rascal. Don’t worry, it’s not meant to replace the trusty, tried and true design of the original Rascal….
It started as just some thoughts…..ideas for a new board design after contemplating just how much fun I’d had on my Lil’ Rascal over the last year and a half. So, here’s what I came up with….and you know what? ….it goes gangbusters:
Rascal II – I added a slight bit more curve in the last 12 inches of the nose rocker so it rails nice and tight in little nook and cranny pockets.
I put in a concave deck. It feels like your riding a skateboard and responds super quick edge-to-edge. The caved deck also gives you this insane feeling like you are riding “in” the board and “in“ the wave…you gotta just try it to understand what I mean. I also shaped in four “parabolic” (fancy for curved) channels that give extra lift, drive and directional hold. The moontail releases the water being compressed through the channels in a way that keeps the tail crisp and free to break it loose when you want to.
It has also been set-up to ride as either a quad or thruster…..keeping your fin options open. In a nutshell…..it’s more versatile, faster and looser; skates though the flats quicker, and surfs tighter and more responsive in the pocket than ever before.

I included a little riddle to go along with this board model. Tell us what in the world the following riddle means and how it correlates to the design relationship between the original Lil’ Rascal design and the new Rascal II design:

Here’s the riddle: “It’s nice to not have the hiccups off your front foot when encountering nooks and crannies ripe for slapping.”

Tell us if you think you’ve solved the riddle. E-mail us at: [email protected]

CHECK THE PROCTOR ONLINE BOARD SHOP TO ORDER A RASCAL II. WE SHIP DIRECT WORLWIDE.

accelerator (check me out)

in a nutshell…

This board is specifically designed to make small wave performance surfing easy.

full shaper description…

This board is specifically designed to make small wave performance surfing easy. You get fast-driving speed bursts off the front foot and hair-trigger, tail whipping warp-arcs off the back foot. A wider nose outline and low entry rocker get this board into waves quicker and blast it down the line faster. A bendy tail rocker sweeps off the back fin making it quick and responsive in tight rail-arcing hook-turns. An even single concave runs through the midsection of the board making for a “wide open sweet spot” i.e. the board wants to go even if you don’t have your feet right in the perfect spot every time.

Right at the fins the rocker ‘drops out’ and the single concave goes deep….this creates what feels like an engine under your back foot. The deep concave forms an air pocket as well as a straighter path to compress the water through the extreme rocker of the tail….this air pocket acts like a gas pedal or “accelerator”…push back on the tail and it rockets through turns like a piece of ice on wax paper.

Here’s the dimension I suggest based off your normal “good waves” shortboard: ride this board one inch shorter, 1/4″ wider in the middle, 1/2″ wider in the nose, and 1/8” wider in the tail. Go with the same thickness just with a fuller, boxy rail. This creates a flatter deck which gives the board a springier flex pattern….key for that extra little thwang in small waves.

Oh yea…as a bonus, it also goes looneybinsmental in everything up to slightly overhead.

Skill level: intermediate to advanced
Type of waves: primarily designed for knee high to shoulder and weak, but it goes great in everything up to slightly overhead.

CHECK THE PROCTOR ONLINE BOARD SHOP TO ORDER AN ACCELERATOR. WE SHIP DIRECT WORLWIDE.

blackbird (check me out)

in a nutshell…

It will release out the back and re-engage for fins-free type of maneuvers, airs and reverses. Designed for the new order of surfing.

full shaper description…

New and improved… straighter tail rocker increases drive and heavier concaves through the fins adds a whole new responsiveness to make the new Blackbird one of the favorites moving into the new year. STILL….AND NOW MORE THAN EVER…A spry, lively bugger of a backfoot board. Developed around San Clemente’s variety of waves; goes mental in points, reefs, and beachbreaks alike. Heavy single concave through the tail makes this board really alive in the pocket. It will release out the back and re-engage for fins-free type of maneuvers, airs and reverses. Designed for the new order of surfing.
Ideal Conditions: Knee-high to Slightly Overhead
Experience: Intermediate to Advanced
Designed for: Fins-free maneuvers, airs & reverses