Indigo Montoya

A Chino Racer for Aussie mat lad, Hamish Kent.

Hamish is a really good mat surfer who has had a few custom and stock G-Mats previously in the form of RFT and RB-JMC models. Hamish loves to get up on a rail, and make a lot of turns. Having seen James Tanner's review of his Chino Racer, Hamish was pretty clear that he wanted one when he got his deposit in for this run.

So this mat, named Indigo Montoya, is a 70/70 Chino Racer. I've matched the scaling to Hamish's previous customs but rather than the Super-Free-Breather venting, we have gone with a restricted or "wheezer" venting. This slows down the transition of air across the mat so helps the inside rail to maintain more of a curve for longer when going into turns. We went with a "free" (neutral) elastic rocker on Hamish's previous mats so have stuck with this both skins are laid up to give some elasticity.

On the name, Hamish says:

“Like the female version of Inigo Montoya, but also a reference to the fact that she’s blue, is a racer (Indy) and she’s gonna be fast as...

Also… a fantastic reference to princess bride because I’m a big tough man.”

— Hamish Kent

I'm really excited to hear and hopefully see what Hamish gets up to with Indy. We're just waiting for a Fluffy Sunshine tee to arrive (did I mention that I have tees?) and then Indy will be on her way down-under to hook up with Hamish.

Have fun tough man!

Cheers

G

Mojito

Here's a mat named "Mojito" built for Newquay based Dan Binks.

Dan has been almost exclusively riding surfmats for years now and has been building his own so I was surprised and honoured to see him get in on the list for this run. He has a Biscay trip planned and needed a new mat.

We got our heads together and Dan wanted an all rounder with good glide. He is a good matsurfer and we settled on a RB-JMC. 70/70 construction, but with free elastic rocker, as Dan surfs a lot of beaches so wanted the balance between pedal to the metal down the line speed and maneuverability. We also built her as a fairly free-breather to let the air flow freely internally with a small amount of restriction, again to hold shape a little in turns.

Here's what Dan has to say:

“Graeme, thanks for making my custom surfmat. It was great to swing by G Mat Towers for pickup and a natter before work yesterday. Loving the green grip & logo, they looks sweet. Dimensions are bang on... I wanted something a little different from any other mat I’ve ridden so thanks mate. Me and Mojito hit the road next week... pray for waves. X”

— Dan Binks

Praying hard brother...

I'm excited to hear how the trip goes. Dan has had a few waves in the little swell we've had running and he says that Mojito feels like a fit.

Have fun Dan. Let's get a wave soon.

Cheers

G

Lesser Black Back

Here's a new ride for Kernow based mat surfer, Tom Carter.

Tom lives in West Cornwall and has really into mats for a while. He got a Ute from me last year, named Black Back, which has been his go to since. This time he wanted something to fit the profile of a low volume, narrow mat he has. With that in mind, we agreed that an Ubercat would be the way to go.

It's been quite some time since I've built one of these. The narrow profile and deep concave makes for a mat that locks in and goes rail to rail really well, but will straggle more in the flats than designs with a wider aspect ratio. But then, Tom has Black Back for those days. In punchy waves, the Ubercat feels lively and a lot of fun to whip back into the pocket, particularly in wedgy waves.

With less volume, we have gone with a 70 denier deck. As the Ubercat is narrow, Tom will be covering the deck more so the material doesn't need to be as heavy to still give some stability. We have gone with a restricted venting set up. "Wheezers" keep their inside rail shape more through turns. We've also gone with a free (flat) elastic rocker.

So what has Tom called his new mat? Well, the colour scheme and grip pattern of Tom's G-Mats are in keeping with each other, so sticking with the gull species, Lesser Black Back of course! Well there is less of her!

Have fun Tom!

Cheers

G

My Guy

Here's a quick squeezed in build for Andrew Buck.

I've wanted to build a Chino Racer for Andrew since relaunching the design. Having had such strong feedback from James Tanner on his CR name Toblerone, I was keen to get Andrew's take. With the relentless sh*tty conditions we're having in South West Britain, it wasn't too tricky to make time for an extra-curricular build.

The model is very different to the RB-JMCs that Andrew usually rides, giving more hold and directional stability. I've also gone with a free elastic rocker and restricted wheezy venting so it will be a very different ride for Andrew. At the very least, a good option for the big days but I'm really interested to hear the all round vibe Andrew gets from it. There is a possibility it's not for him... Let's see.. M

In terms of aesthetics, this mat has a navy deck, black grip and kind of desert colours for the logo. As you can see, the bottom has a camo-esque splattered tie dye type thing. I've recently switched to a new brand of dye and wanted to use up some left overs of the old stuff and Andrew was game. These splatter designs are what they sound like so pretty simple to do (excluding the steaming and washing) so mission accomplished.

As for the name, Andrew has Christened his mat "My Guy", the name he gave to his Lego men as a kid.

So My Guy is headed to Carp. It might be some time until we see swell at Rincon but Andrew will be ready when it arrives.

Have fun mate!

Cheers

G

Mat Fink

Meet “Mat Fink”. The new ride for Tasmania based mat surfer, Wyn Herrick.

I asked Wyn for his story about getting into mats and he really let rip. It’s too good to summarise so here you go:

“How I learned to stop worrying and love the mat-
I’ve been vaguely aware of matting for a long time. When I lived in Malibu, I would see a mat guy at Leo Carrillo pretty regularly. I struck up a conversation with him one day; he told me he lived way over in Pasadena and would ride in on his motorcycle to dodge traffic with his mat rolled up in a saddlebag. It would be almost a decade after that conversation until I actually started riding mats, but that was the first time I thought, “Huh, this mat thing is kinda cool!”
Fast forward a few years—I’m living in Ojai and completely obsessed with surfing Rincon. Of course, anyone who spends any time with the queen of the coast will inevitably cross paths with Andrew Buck, or at least his wake as he highlines over you. Watching him day in and out get set waves, make impossible sections, and just generally go really fast completely changed my perception of matting from a neat tool for travel or a fun thing to goof around on when the surf’s small to a serious wave-riding vehicle. Still, I was on my own journey experimenting with different board shapes, fins, etc., and matting evaded me through this period. It wasn’t until my partner and I relocated to Australia that I would finally pick it up and quickly become infatuated.
We were living in the Byron Bay zone which, for me, carries this duality of epochal surf history and a paradise lost to development and tourism. I arrived, perhaps naively, hoping to trace the steps of my surf heroes of the transition era. What I found were crowds somehow worse than Southern California and etiquette so far gone that even the local regulators had given up long ago. Of course, Byron is still gorgeous and did hold a few “oh my god, this is just like Morning of the Earth” moments for me, but by and large, I found myself dreading going surfing. Enter the mat back into my psyche: Byron has a fair few mat riders—the Greenough effect is still strong. Seeing guys out on mats with big smiles on their faces picking off wave after wave that grumpy, too-cool-for-school surfers weren’t even looking at made me say, “Now’s the time.”
We had a couple of friends who matted, and I couldn’t believe how happily they said, “Yes! Take one of my mats, keep it for however long you want!” My very first go-out was at the Cape in Byron on a bigger day with kinda wild conditions. My attitude was, “Fuck it, let’s just rip the Band-Aid off.” We had a trip coming up to Tasmania that we planned to bring the mats on, and I wanted at least a few waves under my belt before that. Immediately, I was reduced to kook status. I could barely just lie on the thing. It kept popping out from under me, I had no idea where to even position myself on the mat, and the fins felt so awkward on my feet. It didn’t help that the swell period was short and there was a strong current running down the point. I managed to catch a few waves and do a couple of walk-arounds before I was completely knackered. The waves I caught were basically whitewash, the malleability of the mat felt insane, and every little wave paddling out absolutely rocked my shit. I’d seen what was possible, though; I left discouraged but determined to figure it out. It felt good in a way to suck at something again—posturing and jockeying in the lineup were now thrown out the window. I was free to be a kook.
I progressed quickly, however, and the next three months would be a crash course in matting. There was plenty of help along the way. After the first session, I messaged Buck with a laundry list of questions, to which he responded, “Just call me.” He proceeded to school me on the finer points of matting for the next 30 minutes, and I attribute that call greatly to my fast learning curve—thanks, Buck. I rode five different mats of different deniers and shapes, fixed pinholes, patched a puncture, rode all sorts of waves and conditions, got a tube, got womped, and stopped stand-up surfing entirely. Soon, I was trimming down the line at the Pass at Mach 3 with a shit-eating grin on my face. I found it so much easier to navigate a crowd. As mat riders know, you are completely invisible to most of the lineup and are able to take a wide variety of waves that others might dismiss as too fast or too small.
The mat community welcomed me in the ways I’d always hoped surfing would. Where surfers were tribal and suspicious, I found mat people running up to me on the beach just to connect over our shared love of the pool toy, zoom balloon, or goon bag. I read a Jamie McClellan interview where he describes the mat community as what surfing in the 1950s might have been like—a global community of people doing something they hold sacred, small enough that you all have at least a loose connection to each other. I was soon hanging and matting with the greater Byron/Lennox mattists, including one halcyon session with ten of us serendipitously out at the Pass together playing bumper cars. Recently, my partner and I bid adieu to Byron for the less crowded shores of Tassie. Knowing basically no one down here, I was stoked to find that Ben Zubkevych is here carrying the mat flame. We have yet to link up, but I’m sure we’ll get a session in one of these days. The mat provides.
I was asked by Graeme for a paragraph on how I got into matting, and I feel this has probably been a bit long-winded and overly personal, but matting saved surfing for me. I have gone back to standing up about fifty percent of the time these days, but before I got on the mat, my surf life was feeling ever-grim. Matting brought the joy and purity back. I had the honor of some hangs and even a mat sesh with George Greenough before I left Byron, and every time I saw him he’d say, “It always puts a smile on your face.” I reckon it puts a smile on the face of everyone in the lineup. When you see the little-kid joy of someone locked into the pocket at full speed on a pool toy, you can’t help but grin.”

— Wyn Herrick

So straight onto the mat. Wyn is friends with Andrew Buck @aslbuck and is highly influenced by his surfing. He has an RFT2 already (the stock version of the RB-JMC) but was still keen on an RB-JMC. When scaling the dims actually were slightly smaller for this mat so Wyn will feel a difference. He has also gone for a super-free-breather, so this mat will be more responsive. Mat Fink also has a negative elastic rocker, like his RFT2.

Wyn came with an idea already set in his mind with regard to colours, wanting to emulate the Greenough shaped yellow and orange edge boards ridden by Rasta a while back (see shot 16). Hopefully no injuries for Wyn though! I’m pretty pleased with how the dye job has come out on the bottom skin. I have recently switched to a new brand of acid dye and right now I’m stoked on it’s even, true colour finish.

So Mat Fink is heading down to Tassie. Hopefully Wyn can catch up with Ben Zubkevych.

Have fun man!

Cheers

G

Skli

A new ride for French matsurfer, JF Mens. JF has been riding mats for years now. JF is currently on a trip with his family, sailing to amazing places so travelling light. Also, not always encountering primo waves.

JF has a Ute which he bought way back, and another wider mat that he tends to use in weaker waves. He was keen to get a G-Mat to fill that need, so we have gone with a 70/70 RB-JMC. JF has called her Skli, the Norwegian word for slide. Skli is a free-breather with negative elastic rocker to really maximise glide.

Skli is en route to France as I type to hook up with JF. I'm excited to hear how they go.

Enjoy mate!

Cheers

G

Ruby Rose Tourmaline

This is Ruby Rose Tourmaline, a replacement mat built for Hamish Kent.

Hamish rides mats hard. Lots of aggressive turns and the like, and as such puts a lot of strain on his mats. This, combined with me flying a bit to close to the sun on a design idea led to the inevitable so here we are. Lesson learned.

The victim was RV Krystal Voyager (RV stood for research vessel) and this new ride named Ruby Rose Tourmaline is a direct replacement, apart from dialing back the design feature that failed of course! To freshen things up, we kept the same dye for the deck but have gone with a bright fuschia bottom. We have also gone with white grip instead of grey.

Otherwise, RRT is a 70/70 RB-JMC super-free-breather with free (neutral) elastic rocker and a hestered mini-boston valve.

It will be good to see Hamish back out there. You can't miss him!

Have fun hombre!

Cheers

G

The Cormorant

Here's a mat for Gus McDiarmid squeezed in on the end of this run to replace a mat that a clumsy log rider ploughed through and destroyed for him. This seems to be a frequent occurrence in the zoo that is Noosa.

So thid mat... "The Cormorant" , as she has been named by Gus, is a 70/70 RB-JMC Super-Free-Breather built with negative rocker to replace his previous mat, "Last Light" (RIP quite literally). Gus was pretty clear that he wanted the same mat, same materials and same ride so here we are. We've changed up the color scheme a touch though. You know me and my monochrome fetish so I'm into this mat.

Gus said:

“The Cormorant

Influenced by the natural phenomena of countershading.

“Countershading is a common form of camouflage where an animal is darkly pigmented on its upper (dorsal) surface and light on its lower (ventral) surface. By counteracting natural lighting, this pattern conceals self-shadows, making three-dimensional animals appear flat and blending them into their surroundings.”

I figure this is the perfect camouflage for a matter! Sneaking up on unsuspecting prey before catching the waves! Also it’s pretty in tune with Ben Z and I motto when we Mat. “Show No Mercy!” in a hardcore scream followed by lots of giggles!

Thanks G!”

— Quote Source

Lovely stuff. Have fun Gus! We all really enjoyed your recent video.

Now onto building another replacement mat for another Aussie mat surfer, then on to the next run. What is going on down there!?

Cheers

G

Maddog Mat

Here's mat is heading to surf photographer and fringe surfcraft rider, Mattson Culbert.

Mattson lives in San Diego, CA where he rides many types of wave riding vehicles from handplanes, paipo and bodyboards to surfmats.

Mattson said:

Mattson spends most of his time now at the beach breaks, reefs, and one special point break in and around Pacific Beach and La Jolla now.

“My first introduction to surf mats started in the mid 1980s on the old yellow and blue Surf Rider mats at my grandparents beach house in Cayucos, CA as a kid. In 2014 after I moved from my beloved point breaks of Santa Barbara to San Diego I also started riding Jon Wegener’s wooden paipo and that lead me back to other fringe craft. During the lockdown of 2020 I got a new surfmat and a rekindled love of gliding on waves.”

— Mattson Culbert

He chose the name of the “Maddog Mat” for this minty fresh mat after his old nickname while working at CI Surfboards from 2007-2014 before moving to San Diego.

Mattson was pretty clear on wanting an RB-JMC. We tossed around a few ideas but the balls out down the line speed of a 70/70 neg rockered free-breather RB-JMC was what grabbed his attention. So when you see this plus size core lord flying past you on the high line in San Diego, know it’s because of the extra gear in his G-Mat!

Have fun Mattson and keep it minty my brother!

Cheers

G

Bryndarella

Housewarming gift for my good friend Bryn Dampney of Kovert Kneeboards.

Bryn has recently moved into the same town as me and, as he'd kidnapped my Chino Racer named Chino Albino, the choice of housewarming present was easy!

I took the liberty of naming this mat for Bryn... Say hello to Bryndarella

As I say, Bryn had been riding the Chino Racer for a while and fed back that he really enjoys the sense of confidence that the extra hold gives, particularly when negotiating sections. A key feature of the Chino Racer is that it does kinda go where you put it. With that in mind, Bryndarella is built to the same specification as Chino Albino: 70d deck and bottom, restricted air flow and free (flat) elastic rocker. Bryn was also a fan of the simple bung style valve so I have fitted one in Bryndarella.

I'm stoked to build this mat for Bryn. He's the absolute definition of a true waterman and is a really good mat rider and solid fixture in the core mat crew I get out in the water with.

Have fun amigo!

Cheers

G

PS Stay tuned for exciting developments with this design.

Chango

Say hello to Chango, a G-Mat RB-JMC built for Californian surfboard builder, Tommy Kroll. Tommy is a Super talented craftsman who builds surfboards under the Specialist Surfboards label.

Tommy is also an experienced mat surfer so had a pretty clear sense of what he wanted from the mat.

We explorered the options and Tommy was keen to have something that would handle every day waves, including beach breaks and choppy conditions. We eventually settled on a RB-JMC, built with free elastic rocker for versatility and also restricted the internal venting as wheezers will keep their shape better in bumps.

We also have plenty of deck grip to stay on, but also helps to stabilise the deck a bit whilst retaining the 70/70 qualities, particularly in the rails. All in all... I'm excited to hear how Tommy finds this mat. I have high hopes.

So what about the name? Tommy says:

“It’s an ongoing family nickname, means little monkey in Spanish but can refer to a mischievous little kid haha. It was my uncles nickname before me and he started a balance board/ surf training company in the 90s called Chango Balance.”

— Tommy Kroll

What a great name! I'm honoured that it has been given to this surfmat!

Tommy has also gone for a mat bag (a great way to use offcuts) and a G-Mat Apparel Tee. Thanks for representing!

So, Chango is setting sail. Have fun Changos!

Cheers

G

Nautilus

This is "Nautilus", a G-Mat RB-JMC built for Californian mat surfer, Scott Kennedy.

Scott has been a mat rider for some time and surfs around Santa Cruz. For those unaware, SC is an area with a rich heritage when it comes to mat surfing, and some solid points producing some very skilled riders.

Scott came ready prepared with a mat in mind, the grip pattern and even the name. Bosh! Unsurprisingly, with Scott's experience and where Scott surfshe went for a RB-JMC super-free-breather with negative elastic rocker. He also went with full grip panels to ensure that he stays put on the mat.

And so Nautilus set off last week and is with Scott as I type. I'm looking forward to ride reports and maybe do photos or footage (hint hint).

Have a blast Scott!

Cheers

G

Speed Thrills!

A quick in-between-builds mat for Derek Hynd.

Derek has become fully absorbed in mat surfing over the last couple of years or so. We'd spoken a few times over the years and he always expressed respect and appreciation for the craft and people who surf them. One day when I asked the question (not for the first time) "is it time to get you on a mat?" he replied with a yes!

A obvious step really for the master of free friction surfing when you think about it.

After a couple of RB-JMC's, I built Derek a Nouveau Racer (named Evil Twin M) for some of the heavier and hollower waves around Byron. He came back to me saying he loved the more structured feel of the 4 pontoon mat, but obviously being a gunnie surfmat, the Nouveau Racer misses the bottom end of other models. With that in mind I suggested a 70/70 Chino Racer would be a great all-rounder to compliment 'ETM' and we agreed to do it at some point.

And then tragedy...

Some clumsy f*ck ploughed a surfboard fin through Evil Twin F, Derek's RB-JMC, and his Chino Racer suddenly became more of a priority.

Rest in peace ETF - Taken too soon

I had a stack of builds locked in so it was a case of wait until the end or find a day and thanks to the wettest February in recorded UK history and me still coming back from the 'mega-cold', I found that day so here we are.

This Chino Racer is built with free elastic rocker and is a wheezer, to soak up the chop on windy days. Derek wanted to lock in the number 369 and has named her "Speed Thrills", saying the name is:

"... in tribute to my mentor Terry Fitzgerald - his Bells 1981 board was called this. Woo Hoo! "

So Speed Thrills is on the way Down Under. They've had it tough around Byron wave wise apparently but the season is getting going so hopefully will timed.

Have fun Derek!

Cheers

G

NB. locking in numbers usually involves waiting for the number to come up but emergency as we said.

Take Away

Here is a mat for my friend Rachel named “Take Away”, built in fits and starts during my down time. We started on Take Away in September last year!

Rachel has been surfing a mat for years now, originally getting into them surfing spots around her beloved South Devon in the UK. Rachel and her family have been living in Oz for some years now, but she periodically comes home to visit, and that’s what led to the creation of Take Away.

Rachel was involved in the Phileas Project (Phileas was a white mat I built which was sent around the world for people to surf and add their artwork too), surfing in an episode with me when Phileas came home for some TLC, and also in an Australian ep. This planted the seed for Take Away: a white mat that many people build into a work of art. In this case, Rachel’s friends and family in South Devon have drawn her a takeaway meal of all the things she loves about South Devon for her to take wherever she goes.

As you can see in the photos, the art piece is well underway and Take Away is heading to Oz. Rachel has a plan to add to this over time, including coming back to the UK to get more added by friends over here. I've left the centre pontoon clear to give more canvas. I’m really excited to see how Take Away turns out in the end.

Perhaps there will never be an end point…

On the tech side, Take Away is a 70/70 G-Mat Ute wheezer with free elastic rocker. Rachel wanted a mat for all days so this was a good choice. I’m super-stoked to finally get Rachel on a mat that properly fits her as her previous options were that little bit too big or little bit too small.

Have fun Rachel and keep us updated!

Cheers

G

Osprey

This was the last custom mat build of 2025. A 70/70 G-Mat RB-JMC for Rincon local, Matt Simon.

Matt is one of a solid crew of mat riders from around the Santa Barbara area. He has been riding mats for many years and has had a mat from me some time back, an RB-JMC named Dragonfly that he had built after the long-term loan of a mat named the Rincon Rental Raft that I bult for Andrew Buck years ago.

Matt got in on this run and an had a clear idea what he wanted... Exactly the same! Well, not exaclty. He wanted a copy of Dragonfly, but with a bungee to give the pool option, but more importantly, to surf a certain high tide spot where losing the mat would mean, well, losing the mat! And so "Osprey" was born.

Osprey is a 70/70 RB-JMC as mentioned. She has a negative elastic rocker and is built with super-free-breather venting to maximise glide and speed. Matt has gone for a Hestered (positioned below the seam) mini-Boston valve and a clean white logo on the middle pontoon.

Have fun Matt. Always a pleasure!

Cheers

G

Toblerone

Here's a Christmas mat for Kiwi Surfmat wizard James Tanner in December, 2025.

As I'm sure people have noticed, JT is something of a standout when it comes to riding mats, with his active rail to rail approach. Also popping off the mat for a quick body surf at times before jumping back on. If you haven't seen that, check the G-Mat YouTube channel.

I've been lucky enough to build a few mats for James over the years, and his feedback is always really helpful. It dawned on me that I haven't built him any 4 pontoon models and I reckon he'd dig the hold in the rail from the Chino Racer so here we are.. . A mat that James has christened "Toblerone" because the Swiss tend to keep inflation low.

Lovely pun.

Toblerone has been built as a 70/70 wheezer, so opening up the bottom end in terms of glide but holding shape more, with restricted air flow. We have also gone with free rocker to get the balance between down the line speed and responsive turning (perhaps a nod to that famous Swiss neutrality... Hello... Is this on?)

I'm taking a punt on pre-Christmas shipping. To be honest, I'm mostly hearing people around JT's neck of the woods grumbling about terrible waves right no so probably not a huge rush, but

Anyway, Godspeed Toblerone.

Have fun James!

Cheers

G

Shell Yes!

Here's a mat heading to the US Virgin Islands for Mariah Ernst.

Mariah is a mat surfer of long standing who knows how to ride a mat well. She is on the team at Emocean Magazine and has a close effinity with the ocean and natural world, so no surprises then that Mariah rides a mat!

Having recently hung out with Andrew Andrew Stephen Buck talking mats, Mariah was pretty clear that she wanted an RB-JMC super-free-breather with negative elastic rocker and, a particular Buck influence, an animal theme. As Mariah has always had a fantasy of skimming across a wave face on a giant clam shell her choice was simple and "Shell Yes!" was born!

Shell Yes! is a nice addition to the quiver for Mariah. Over the years she has had a Nouveau Racer and a free (flat) rockered RB-JMC that has more restricted venting so Shell Yes! will give a very different ride to both. Very technical and very fast. Perfect addition. Shell Yes! also has one of the new low profile spring valves so I'm excited to hear how Mariah finds it.

So, shell yes will be heading over to the US Virgin Islands and I can't wait to hear and see how she goes.

Have fun Mariah.

Cheers

G

PS Mariah also recently picked up a G-Mat Mini from my partner Tom Jennings She says you should definitely get one too.

RV Krystal Voyager

Here we have a mat for Hamish Kent @clevestone Hamish is a Byron surfer with a deep interest in riding and creating surf craft. I always enjoy building mats for people who are interested in how what they ride and how it works. Hamish is certainly in that group and we had a few calls to get things right.

Hamish has gone for an RB-JMC, as his current go to is a G-Mat RFT. He was keen to get something a little wider with a different feel. This mat and Hamish's RFT are both 70/70 (70 denier nylon deck and bottom) and as Hamish likes to make lots of turns, we settled on a free elastic rocker (flat but flexible) rather than the usual negative rocker used with this design. The other key difference (apart fron the shape) it the venting. The RFT is a restricted breather (wheezer) where as this mat is a free-breather with extreme venting (what I call a super-Free-breather). Fast, sensitive, malleable and inclined to carve through turns. Nice... Oh and we have dyed her with scarlet acid dye. Hamish was after hi vis but not garish and I think this fits the bill nicely.

I asked Hamish about his journey into mats. He said:

“As a bit of a nerd, and a hard core surf and surf history nerd, I have always sought to have a variety of experiences on as many and as varied craft as possible. Not infrequently, I will ride as many different wave riding vehicles as possible in a single session.

I first started dabbling in mat riding around 2013 or 2014. I had watched Crystal Voyager a number of times, and was excited by the challenge of something new.

Some friends had started riding mats, and I saw them having fun, and thought I’d better see what I was missing out on.

I bought the most accessible mat that was on some kind of sale at the time, and started trying to ride it. After 20 or so years of regular brine time, this allowed me to reach a new level of humility and humiliation in the line up- there’s really nothing like sliding out and missing a section on a perfect wave, that you know you could make on almost any other craft you own. It was a strange combination of devastating and wonderful. Some brief low friction, high speed moments punctuated by moments of complete helplessness, getting flogged in the impact zone trying to hold onto a wet plastic bag cross to a balloon, and I was kinda hooked, like a beaten lover in a bad relationship. Clearly I had room for development.

Rather than slash a hole in my wave riding vehicle so that no-one else reach the subterranean depths of ego that I had been able to experience mat riding already, I decided to limit the humiliation to once a week. Once a week the morning session had become a prone zone with bodysurfing being the prone activity of choice. I added in mat riding as another horizontal humility building pursuit.

Fast forward to a trip to NZ; I wanted to take a quiver, but didn’t want to carry a quiver. I took a board, and a mat, and enjoyed a few lonely sessions with seals, started to get the hang of things, and with only seals to laugh at me, I was able to learn a few skills from them; they learnt nothing from me. I rode the mat most days for about 10 days. I improved slightly, but only slightly.

I continued to ride my mat intermittently, with another breakthrough coming on a 70km coastal hike where I decided that the mat was to be my only surf vehicle.

The last few years we have had some excellent mat riding conditions in the areas I frequent, and I have found myself using a mat more and more, and hoping for good conditions to ride the mat. It’s become the vehicle I am often most excited about riding. I’m enjoying the constant learning, the dynamic approaches to wave riding that are afforded a the mat, and the child like glee that comes from riding a wave with your mates new and old. ”

— Hamish Kent

Lovely stuff and a testament to the words of Greenough to ride your mat and nothing else for at least 10 sessions straight when you first start out! Speaking of George, his influence on Hamish is clear with the name of this mat... "RV Krystal Voyager".

At the time of writing I'm waiting for Hamish's hoodie to arrive (Lilo Life print by Ry Akins @ry_akins) and then RV Krystal Voyager will head south.

Have fun Hamish. It's been a pleasure mate.

Cheers

G

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