Proto Too Take 2!

You might remember I built a 70/40 prototype mat for Andrew Stephen Buck named “The Bruise”. Well… it popped. ☹ Add to that the fact that James Tanner’s 70/40 proto mat named “Chinook” had a slight delamination at the back corner and I was thinking this material is just not up to the job.

The thing is… It feels great! At low inflation it is very quick and super sensitive. The learning has been that it’s certainly not for everyone, it’s tricky to get a handle on and feels much lighter than 70/70 even. It’s also not for every type of wave as the material is quite elastic so chop can be a challenge. But it is really fast.

 What’s more, James’s mat was repairable and since then, no other problems. Oh and my 70/40 mat, “Little Boy Blue” has been fine!

With all that in mind, I decided to revisit this. I thought about the material and wondered about technique. Thermal welding TPU coated nylon involves 3 elements: heat, dwell time and pressure. I’ve had a bit of a tinker and think dwell time might have been the issue with this stuff having a really narrow window between a weak weld and being over-cooked.

With that in mind, I have put together a rebuild for Mr Buck which he has named “Sporting Lady”. My first thoughts… cautiously optimistic. Let’s see though. It may still be that this material is too inconsistent to put out to customers but hopefully we’re there. This is why I build prototypes.

Cheers

 G

Proto Too...

The 70/40 experiment continues...

This is a G-Mat RB-JMC built for Andrew Stephen Buck.

"Buck" needs no introduction for most mat surfers being an inspirational mat rider. If you're not familiar with him, however, he's that guy what went viral a while back burning off longboarders at Rincon. .

So onto the mat and this one is built to the same spec as my own original proto. It's important to control for as many factors as possible when testing new materials and design characteristics so feedback from one of the world's very best is going to be most meaningful if we're taking about the same mat.

So... "The Bruise" as he has called this mat (black and blue), has a 70d deck and 40d I-beams and bottom skin. She is built with a negative rocker and is a super-free-breather.

I am extraordinarily excited about this mat going to Andrew. Considering the speeds I have been getting on mine, I'm almost scared that ASB will go back in time! Let's see.

Cheers

G

Nymphidius Sabinus - Stay Away from the Sewers!

So my run of mats for those who have supported me continues with a new mat for Andrew Stephen Buck. This is Nymphidius Sabinus (AKA Mick Dundee). She is a RB JMC built for Buck. The same model seen in that recent video that went crazy on Instagram!

For those who don't know, Andrew has a thing for animals... Or animal mats anyway, as you can see from the gallery at the bottom of this post. Nymphidius Sabinus is a Croc design. The facial features took some doing to get right! I have the mats a bucket dye job in Kelly Green too get the mottled effect of crocodile skin.

As you would expect, Nymphidius Sabinus has been made very light and very freely vented. The neg rocker also adds to the speed. She's on her way to Carpinteria to get stuck into some point waves.

Lets see how she goes down…

Cheers

G

Oink! Oink!

I introduce to you, ladies and gentlemen, a mat with an identity crisis! Not anything to do with the mat herself, but her name. 2 stuck out for her owner and both stuck out too prominently to be dismissed. As a result G-Mat 161 is named "Comrade Napoleon" AAKA "Miss Piggy"

This little piggy is built for Andrew Steven Buck and is a 70/70 G-Mat Ute. ASB is a master matter and as such he is after mats that are super sensitive and responsive. With that in mind, Napoleon (I’m not typing out all that again) is a free-breather with negative rocker.

70/70 construction with a lightweight Sikaflex EBT clear grip finish, Piggy (again… I’m not typing all that) is built to be super glidy, very sensitive, highly responsive and therefore…

FAST!!!

She heads off to hook up with ASB in Carpineria and I am gagging to see how she goes in those Rincon rights. Hopefully I’ll get to see her in action in the flesh in April (yes… April. Not the best time for Rincon eh?!)

I love building mats for Andrew. A true master of the art and a man with an deep knowledge not just of how to ride surfcraft but how they work. He has certainly played a huge role in making me both a better mat builder and mat surfer.

Here’s to you ASB!

Cheers

G

The Rincon Rental Raft

I'm getting this post up now because I won't have a chance between now and leaving for a pretty sweet holiday.

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This is the last custom mat built before my trip to SoCal. She is for ASB by way of rent, what with us parking an RV on his driveway for almost a week.  Given the fact that this is a gift, I've taken the liberty of naming her myself and so the Rincon Rental Raft has been born.

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"RRR" is a 200/70 free-breathing Ute with elastic rocker, a Hestered valve and a cracked patterned grip. I'm looking forward to seeing this gal get an outing in the flesh.

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So, last one until I get back. I'll be reading and replying to emails while I'm in the US and am hoping to get a few mat meets together.  

I have a brown baseball cap with an orange logo in my case and it will go free to the first person I meet over there who tells me face-to-face that they like brown, like orange and wear caps.

Cheers

G

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Fluffy Sunshine

​Ladies and gents, boys and girls,  this is the next instalment of weird surfmats for Andrew Stephen Buck, following hot on the heels of Pacmat.  

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G-Mat 89 (AKA "Fluffy Sunshine") is a free breathing 200/70 Ute with rocker. 

You may also have noticed that she has a little artwork.​

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Fluffy Sunshine is a gift for ASB from his good lady, Olivia. Apparently she was quite insistent about this theme. Thankfully, Andrew seems to like it.

Whether or not the Rincon locals will get their heads around it is another question all together!   

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In any case, we can be sure that there will be no missing ASB in the lineup and, should be lose his grip, Fluffy Sunshine should be easy to see. 

Cheers  

G  

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Introducing the Rubber Bucky

I recently posted about "Hestered" valves on a new mat. Well, now I've ridden the mat in question in conditions ranging from walled up solid peelers to rippy junk and now it's time to go public...

Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! I give you, the G-Mat Rubber Bucky. 

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ASB's Rubber Bucky Proto's: 200/70 top, 70/70 bottom.

Apart from having possibly the funnest name to say out loud of all the G-Mat range (I bet you just tried it too) the Rubber Bucky is a contender for the Ute’s all-rounder crown. Developed in partnership with Santa Barbara mat-meister, Andrew Stephen Buck, this mat emphasises traditional high speed mat surfing, quickly finding a plane and favouring controlled drifts and subtle rail control, whilst still holding well enough on steep walls to get your fins out of the water and let loose.

This three pontoon mat is slightly narrower than the Ute, but has a fuller feel due to having slightly more depth (thickness). The I-beam positioning draws heavily from the Ubercat giving a deep concave and pronounced rail hook. The overall feel is very different though with a greater width to length ratio and slightly enhanced bottom contours.

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Photo: Jon Shafer

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ASB Photo: Olivia Sabedra

Slightly rounder parabolic corners fore and aft work together with the bottom contours to give a clean progressive curve to aid hold. Well vented internal structures allow easy air transfer letting the mat to change shape rapidly, increasing speed and responsiveness.

The Rubber Bucky works well with a 200/70 configuration (200 denier deck and 70 denier bottom skin) or 70/70 for increased sensitivity.

Check it out in action from 1:10 in the following video.

Cheers

G