Joni

Say hello to Joni, a G-Mat RB-JMC built for Aussie mat surfer Madi Farrelly.

Madi has been riding mats for a while now and is a very accomplished surfer. Madi is mates with our Antipodean RFT Series stockist Johanna Brebner (to be fair, Jo seems to be mates with everyone) and chatted to her about what to get.

Of course, Brebsy recommend a 70/70 RB-JMC super-free-breather with negative rocker. Fast and lots of glide... Perfect fit for Madi's style. Madi also had colours in mind. After a bit of acid dye fiddling (the colour on the pot and what comes out aren't always the same) we have a kind of mint bottom with teal deck.

The mint was meant to be more like the teal, but was so nice that the combo was a must! I have pigmented the grip too, to match the bottom a touch, and it's really made the logo pop. All in all, Madi is happy and so am I. Madi has also gone with a bung style valve to keep things simple.

Here's what Madi had to say:

“I named her Joni, after Joni Mitchell and her album Blue. The mat itself isn’t strictly blue, it’s a blend of teal and sea-glass, like the ocean under changing light. But this colour has been following me like a ghost lately. I see it everywhere, and I find myself drawn towards it, in the ocean, in the clothes I reach for without thinking, even in the music that drifts into my days. Maybe it’s just a colour, but it lingers, and feels strangely familiar …”

— Madi Farrelly

Lovely stuff! I'm really looking forward to hearing how Madi finds the ride with Joni. I really enjoy building mats for skilled matsurfers as the feedback is priceless.

It's been a fun build this. Have fun Madi!

Cheers

G

The White Tiger

Here's a new ride for Aussie mat surfer Gavin Knowles. Gav lives in Byron Bay and has been riding mats for some time. He has an RFT and got in on this run of customs. We spent a bit of time thinking about options, before settling on a 70/70 RB-JMC.

Gav was keen to make this an all-rounder and opted for free-elastic rocker. As he has been surfing wheezers, we have loosened it up with less restricted air flow. The other thing Gav wanted was to leave the middle pontoon free of grip. I literally wrote "leave the middle!" on the tube of sealant and STILL started to mask up a middle panel. Thankfully my reminder worked!!!

Gav shared a few words:

“Simplistic-Technical, subtly nursing your ride with that grin from ear to ear is why we all mat ride . We have come along way from the old canvas that stripped off your titties and thanks to G and the builders before him we are all blessed to have such beautifully built airbags under our bellies .

With a stroke of luck I got on the short list and here we are the Rb-Jmc built for the east coast point breaks here in Aus!

It has been a seamless process getting this done and I can’t wait to meet the dolphin line on my new ride . Thanks for all your knowledge and input G .. Mahalo!!”

— Gavin Knowles

Thanks Gav!

Gav has named his mat" The White Tiger". Crazily, when he WhatsApped that to me, Becky and I were watching Daredevil Reborn and there was a guy called the White Tiger on the screen as I read Gav's text! Coincidence?... Yes... Still freaky though!

Anyway, the white tiger is being picked up today by the courier. Have fun Gav!

Cheers

G

Last Light

This is Last Light. A G-Mat RB-JMC built for master potter, Gus McDiarmid https://panpottery.com/

This is the second mat built for Gus and is very similar. The key difference is slightly increased venting. Gus rides some fast waves and being able to get on a high line and down the line quickly is a real help.

Gus rides mats well (see my recent post of a shot of Gus by Nashy Surf Photos @nashysphotos), and this construction and venting hands much more fine tuned control to the rider.

Last Light has a negative elastic rocker and Hestered mini-Boston valve.

So, Last Light is heading off to Oz to hit some left hand points.

Have fun Gus!

Cheers

G

Chino Albino

This is the other mat built for myself on my week off. A 70/70 Chino Racer named Chino Albino.

I love the Chino Racer. A definite all-rounder with a little more hold than the RB-JMC and a touch more drift through turns than the Ute. All in all, a nice addition to the quiver to sit between my Nouveau Racer, "Dusty" and my RB-JMC, "Snowflake" .

The eagle eyed will notice the valve. I used these on a few mats years ago and they worked well. My good friend Alex of Eyebeam Surfmats has been using them and I thought I'd give them a go as a couple of people have asked for bung type valves. Personally, I love the mini Boston valve but I aim to please. I want to get a fresh feel for these valves though, having not used them for over 10 years.

Anyway, as mentioned, Chino Albino is a 70/70 Chino Racer. She is a wheezer to help keep her shape and has free elastic rocker. I aim to use her for steeper, small to medium sized waves.

I'm hoping for a session or 2 on Chino Albino over the next couple of days. I'm assuming the valve is a goer and will be an option for people on custom mats moving forward.

Cheers

G

Snowflake

Another rainy-day project and the next addition to my monochrome quiver is a 70/70 RB-JMC named "Snowflake".

Showflake is a super-free-breather with negative elastic rocker. I have gone fairly light with the grip as top-ups take about the same time as re-waxing a board, so no bother, and the increased maleability is worth it.

There's not much more to say other than she's the perfect quiver mate for my new Nouveau Racer named Dusty, my 5 Star General and my BodyBag mini-mat. I have a couple more in mind and have a week off with strong winds and rain in the mix so might get something done.

I've just finished a mat for that I'll put up in a couple of days. Colin shares my love of the low-key. It looks slick...

Anyway, cowabunga and all that!

Cheers

G

Blue Lotus

Mat 2 of 2 for Matty Snelling.

When Matty got in on the current run, he hit go on two mats. The first was a 200/70 5 Star General (basically a RFT) to cover all bases. This second mat is a custom RB-JMC named "Blue Lotus".

Blue Lotus is a 70/70 super-free-breather with negative elastic rocker. Very fast mat. Matt is a very talented surfer and has been riding a mat for a while and has recently been riding them exclusively. He has pretty much all conditions covered with this quiver.

I asked Matty about the name and he said:

“It was a name my very good friend gave me a while ago and she is a wonderful woman. Got a lot of time for her.”

— Matty Snelling

I'm hoping to hand deliver over the weekend and share some waves (we did hook up and shared a few fun ones!)

Matty has a trip to surf Peruvian points later in the year and Blue Lotus is going to love them!

Have fun Matty!

Cheers

G

Lilo Trip

So then here's the last mat in the current run, a G-Mat RB-JMC built for the very talented Ryan Akins. Ry is currently riding a prototype super-free-breather RB-JMC I lent him. His new mat, named "Lilo Trip", is the permanent fixture for that slot in Ryan's quiver.

For those who know Ry, he is a super talented artist with a very individual style. In particular, he has documented his Surfmat journey through his creations, including contributing a piece named Lilo Life which is available as a tee and hoodie in the G-Mat Apparel clothing range and shifted a lot of tees when it dropped and remains a favourite:

https://gmatsurfmats.teemill.com/product/lilo-life/

I asked Ryan about his matsurfing and art and he said:

““My first encounter with surf mats was when I was living in Byron Bay 13 years ago and I was out longboarding the pass when I noticed somebody surfing a mat. My first thought was… yeh that’s rad and looks fun and that was about that.

Fast forward in time and I was having a coffee with my friend Huw Beynon at his house and he was really keen to show me his G-Mats. Straight away I was super stoked on them! and as I left his house I couldn’t stop thinking about mats for day’s.

Ever since that day surf mats have been my main craft in my quiver and I just can’t stop surfing them!

I’ve been recently surfing a RB-JMC Super-Free-Breather and man it’s like going into another dimension! The feeling is unreal.

Mat surfing is an extension to my art, a vessel. The feeling, the speed, the style. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in the water.

Mat surfing is art.

.RY.””

— Ryan Akins

Nicely put man!

As you can see, Lilo Trip is acid dyed in teal and features pink logo and trademark zig zags. Other than that, she matches the mat Ry has been riding. We're planning a surf together to hand over Lilo Trip. I'm always stoked to be there for someone's first ride on a mat I've built them.

The other thing I'm excited about is that Ry has given me another piece to add to the G-Mat Apparel range! The design is also called Lilo Trip is available in my clothing store now:

https://gmatsurfmats.teemill.com/product/lilo-trip-white-print/

This is available in black or white prints and mens and women’s tees as well as unisex hoodies.

Stoked to have built this for you Ry. Have fun mate.

Cheers

G